- [Kelly] I'm back with Gina Torres, from 911 Lone Star.
Give it up for her. (siren noises)
Nearly three weeks
after the worst winter storm in Texas history,
thousands of people in my home state
are still recovering and still need help.
One of the biggest problems, burst pipes and flooded homes.
So take a look at what I'm talking about.
- [Terry] Just came home and seen my roof caved in
at the crib.
(rain falls)
Just came home, that's tough.
- It's incredible.
That's footage from my next guest's house in Houston.
Now this couple, a firefighter and school counselor
are trying to pick up the pieces
after their very first home was nearly destroyed.
We have them on the line right now.
Please everybody welcome Aisha and Terry.
How you doin'? (audience claps)
- Thank you for having us.
- Absolutely! Please say hi to Gina.
- Hi.
- [Aisha And Terry] Hi.
- [Gina] Nice to see you guys.
- [Kelly] Oh my gosh, well Aisha
I thank goodness you and your little girl are all right.
Like, how are y'all doin'?
- We're actually doin' good, all things considered.
Just grateful to be okay and that no one got hurt.
The hardest part for all of this
is just been not having family here, so.
My husband and I are actually from Memphis Tennessee.
So all of our family is still in Memphis Tennessee
and the surrounding areas, so we are down here
completely by ourselves, family-wise.
So that's been difficult not being able to just go home
or leave our daughter.
We have a two year old daughter.
We can't just send her to grandma's house
while we deal with all of this.
So that's been difficult.
But, we just got this house in October.
We actually just closed on our house in October.
And so, just the turnaround from that has been, you know
it's been a lot but we're making it.
- Oh, that's devastating.
Terry, can you take us back to the storm?
'Cause at first you lost electricity, right?
I know a lot of people,
that was the first thing that went out.
- [Terry] Yeah, that's how it all started.
That's what we assumed it all would be so,
even in the midst of not having power,
dealing with that at home, I was still focused
and worried about what's gonna happen
once I get back to work and how can I help the guys
do this, that and the third.
And when it was supposed to be rolling the blackouts
turned out to be,
didn't roll at all.
So, we went from not having power,
to eventually the power came on,
to no heating water in the city.
And all while that's going on, the city has responded
to thousands and thousands of calls
and breaking record after record and
multiple fires and they can't put fires out
'cause all the hydrants were froze.
And it's just a snowball effect
and fortunately my family had me to be here
'cause I was this close to being at work
with my brothers and sisters at the station.
- Man, I grew up in Texas and I--
We would like collect snow days and never use them.
Like, they were always like, "Oh, it's a snow day
so you get out of school."
So I really couldn't imagine going through this
and I'm from there.
Have you ever, can you imagine?
- No, I can't.
And I grew up in the North East in New York City.
So we, yeah we got some snow days and we got some snow.
But this, to not be prepared for something like that.
To the devastation.
And I just keep thinking, it's your first home.
It's your new home.
You've put so much dreams.
There's so many dreams that go into,
and plans that go into that
and to see it all kind of disappear,
that is devastating, there's no other word for it.
- [Kelly] Yeah, that's just hard on your heart
and your like, "Wait, what?"
So Aisha, in all of this,
you were thinking of your students though, right?
- Yes, so I am, as you mentioned I'm a school counselor
at a public school in Houston Texas.
It is an all male school.
So, six through 12.
So we're talking about 11 year olds to 18 year olds.
And you know being a school counselor,
I already know what they were dealing with
even before the pandemic.
So, we know those things.
And then the pandemic hits,
it completely flips everything they've ever known
at least about education,
but also about so many other things on it's head.
And then this happens.
And so, I was worried about them
because I know what they're dealing with at home.
So, just
being concerned about
what are they gonna do?
Do they have power?
When I was checking in on my students,
I think the longest that I heard,
one student had told me that their power was out four days.
That's the longest that I've,
of all the students I've checked up on.
So that really kind of puts it in perspective for you.
- Yeah, and--
Really think about that.
Not having power for four days.
Think about everything that's plugged in.
Everything in your house that runs on electricity.
Like, that's so hard and especially if it's freezing.
Like, outside that's - Freezing.
- It's unthinkable.
Terry, you've had some people step up to help
get you back on your feet, right?
- [Terry] Yes, shout out to HFD station 56 which is my home.
Those guys went out their way.
I had one come help me clean up the mess
the exact same day it happened.
I've had them offer their homes,
to me, my wife and daughter.
I haven't had any issues from my (mumbles)
from my captions and chiefs from when I first called in
like, "Hey, I ain't gonna be able to make it."
And they like, "Hey, it doesn't matter.
Do what you gotta do, we'll take care of this,
you just holla if you need something.
But worry about your family, we got the station."
And it's been nothing but love.
Even for her, her co-workers like Nicole,
the one who started that Go Fund Me.
Like if it weren't for her,
we wouldn't have even been here with you
because it was her co-worker who said,
"Hey, give me word.
I'll set this up for you."
She set it up then from her co-workers
to her students helping in,
from all of my family at HFD but specifically station 56.
Our friends and family back home, like without them
we wouldn't have been able
to transition through this process as smoothly as we have.
- [Kelly] It's kind of,
I mean I'm a silver lining kind of girl.
And I have to say, you know,
you did say you did leave your family in Memphis,
but it's kind of amazing to know
that you actually have all this family surrounding you
that will take care of you and will help you out
and will be there for you in this.
That you've moved to a place where that happens, you know?
Like that's a beautiful thing.
And to you Aisha,
like some very special people donated to the fund right?
- Yes.
So my students, several current and former students.
I knew that...
They donated as well and that touched me the most.
Of course you know I'm appreciative of everybody
that donated but to receive help from students
that I know. Number one, they don't have jobs.
A lot of them, they're too young to even have a job
and if they do have one you know,
its an entry level position.
They're collage students, the ones that are former students.
So to know that you asked your parents for money
or you went into your allowance or whatever
and took the time to donate and give back to me,
that was phenomenal.
- [Kelly] Yeah I mean the most beautiful part about --
I know we're sitting here (mumbles)
I'm like I can't stop crying.
I'm like, oh god.
But the most beautiful part of that for me
is it should tell you the kind of mark
that you're leaving on these individuals.
You know, if they're coming back to help you out,
I mean just so you know that should tell you
what kind of person you are and what you represent to them
which is a beautiful thing.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah you gotta know how loved you are,
how important you are to these people
and the impact you've made on them.
This doesn't happen by accident.
- [Kelly] Oh I don't believe in yeah, yeah, I'm with you.
Well, here are just some of the messages
Aisha's students posted on the Go Fund Me page.
"Mrs. Riley is truly an amazing woman
who has touched the hearts of so many students
and deserves nothing but the best.
Walking into her class to see her signature smile
on her face that can change the mood of anyone
during a bad day."
Someone else wrote to Aisha,
"You matter."
I mean first of all, you could've just stopped there.
Like, you know just saying you matter
is such an important thing.
But it says, "You matter.
Thank you for what you do
for the Mickey Leland College Prep Boys."
I mean all this to say
we know this isn't an easy time for you
or a lot of people right now are struggling.
But we want to see you get back on your feet
so I have some good news.
European Wax Center,
the leader in waxing personal care services,
heard your story.
And being that they're home base is actually in Texas,
they are dedicated to supporting and empowering
their local community, which is an amazing thing.
And they want to help you through this difficult time.
So they're gonna give you $10,000 just to help you out.
How's that sound? (audience cheers)
- Sounds amazing!
- [Kelly] He said, "Sound's amazing!"
(Kelly and Gina laugh)
She cries and he goes, "That sounds amazing
is what it sounds like!"
Well we love you and I'm so sorry.
You know, you move somewhere and like Gina said,
you have all these dreams and stuff like this happens,
you know life happens.
But I am very happy that you've found this second family
to surround y'all.
Whether its the people at your school
or whether it's the people at your work Terry.
I think it's a beautiful thing.
Texans are pretty rad, I'm just saying.
(crosstalk)
I totally forgot to mention this but Gina actually,
we told her what the show is gonna be about
and all the people coming on it
and she was so touched by your story and she wanted to help
so actually Gina donated $5,000 as well to help.
And I just wanted you to know that,
'cause I was like, "Wait, that's such a beautiful thing."
And I love, it's like people don't even know each other
but its humans helping humans
and that is what the new America shall be.
- I spend a lot of time
pretending to be versions of Super Heroes.
You guys are that.
You are that, so thank you.
Thank you for all that you do.