Cleveland grad assists with hurricane relief efforts

It will likely be months before the final tally is known for the damage done in the eastern United States by Hurricane Sandy. The epic storm killed more than 100 people with a volatile mix of wind, rain, flooding and snow not seen in the region for decades. Fires, contaminated water and widespread power outages provided additional hazards, making the destruction complete. When the time came to help those ravaged by the storm, Cleveland Chiropractic College’s alum, Dr. William ‘Buddy’ Ramsey ’95 was there to answer the call.

No stranger to crisis situations, Ramsey has been involved with emergency relief efforts before. A veteran of the United States Marine Corp, he assisted with search-and-rescue efforts during Hurricane Hugo in 1989. He was certified as an emergency responder by the American Red Cross after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and he also provided aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. But even though this storm affected him personally, he quickly began thinking of others.

“I live in Cleveland, and we lost power from this storm for a week, so once the power was restored to my house, I organized a local collection system through several D.C.s in my region,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey relied on his extensive network of friends and colleagues when he and his 15-year-old son, Porter, traveled to the east coast to deliver the collected items. A fellow chiropractor in New York was able to get him access to areas of Long Beach Island whose residents endured massive property damage.

“We were able to deliver gas for generators, food and cleaning supplies to them, and we were surprised to see them so openly grateful and excited about receiving pancake mixes, peanut butter and ladders,” Ramsey said. “It was the first, real, usable supply truck they had received, and a few were in tears after we finished unloading and they found out we had driven all the way from Ohio.”

They stayed with friends in New Jersey, and then traveled to Staten Island to offer assistance there. Using information from one of his patients, as well as church contacts, Ramsey was able to locate people in that area who were in most need of help. In one case, they gutted and bleached the basement of a quadriplegic man. They also helped victims remove vast quantities of dirt and sand from their homes, along with the contents — a process that Ramsey said included “appliances, furniture, drywall and literally, everything else.”

Ramsey said the damage he witnessed was simply amazing. Several feet of water invaded the basements and first floors of many homes. The water was both brackish and laden with sewage, which was not only malodorous, but also caused serious health concerns. The plummeting temperatures and lack of heat only compounded the difficulty of the relief efforts. But the appreciation shown by the residents made the trip worthwhile, and it left the Ramsey’s exhausted but satisfied that they had made a difference.

“I have found that showing up is all you need to do and the situation to help will be there,” Ramsey said. “As chiropractors we are well-equipped to respond and carry the tools with us, we just have to ‘show up’. I just activated the network of chiropractors that I know were action-oriented like me.”

Ramsey is married to fellow Cleveland alum Dr. Jennifer Ramsey ’95. Together they operate Ramsey Family Chiropractic Center in Independence, Ohio.

Cleveland grad assists with hurricane relief efforts

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