Timothy Brown:  

Life When Tim and Dawn Brown of Kokomo, IN went to Lake Charles, LA in the spring to meet the mother who would give up her child for them to adopt, little did they know it would involve a hurricane. The couple, who are Pastors at Southview Assembly of God in Kokomo, looked forward all summer to September when their baby would arrive. When hurricane Katrina blew in to the Gulf Coast, all of the family was relieved because Lake Charles was west of the area devastated. On September 18, 2005 Tim & Dawn along with Dawn's parents Charles and Jan Crank and Dawn's sister Dana Leahy left Indiana in a motor home generously loaned by a member of their church. Mr. Crank shared the driving with Tim as far as Baton Rouge, La where he left the group due to commitments elsewhere. The party of four were assisted in Lake Charles by Pastor Carl Richard and members of Glad Tidings Assembly of God. The baby was born Sept 20 and although they could not yet legally name her Tim & Dawn called her Lacey Nicole. There were some complications and baby Lacey required oxygen and monitoring in the intensive care unit at the Gautier Campus of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. By Sept. 22 the meteorologists were all predicting another hurricane, this time in western Louisiana & eastern Texas. The birth mother was dismissed and evacuated with her family to Dallas, Texas. The hospital was sending baby Lacey to Women's Hospital, Baton Rouge, La. Tim, Dawn, Jan & Dana drove to Baton Rouge and were fortunate enough to be able to park the motor home near the hospital. The only power in the motor home would be with a noisy generator. They arrived before the caravan of ambulances and were able to locate baby Lacey quickly. Since they were not yet her legal parents Tim & Dawn had to obtain a power of attorney to authorize her medical care in Baton Rouge. The staff at Women's Hospital was extremely sensitive and caring even though they were caring for over 100 babies in ICU instead of their normal 60. ...Expand for more