By Carol Robinson
Source al.com
The mother of a toddler girl killed when a tree fell on a west Birmingham home last month came face to face Thursday with the first officers that rushed in to help her.
Rosemary Allen, 40, was trapped for several hours on July 21 while sitting in a chair inside the 10th Avenue West home of her friend.
Her daughter Journi, who would have turned 2 last week, was unresponsive in her arms and later pronounced dead at Children’s of Alabama. One of her other children, 11-year-old JaMari, was injured when her fell through the floor. Jermaine, 12, escaped unharmed.
Allen and her children were staying at the friend’s home after they lost everything they owned in an apartment fire in early July. The friend, LaToya Glass, was seriously injured and her granddaughter, 3-month-old Jalaia Ford, was killed.
On Thursday, the Birmingham Police Department’s Community Outreach and Public Education Division surprised Allen and her surviving children—Jamari and Jermaine—with school supplies and clothing.
Allen also got to hug the two officers who helped her that night – Officer Jeremy Meade and Officer Henry Pilgrim.
“Everybody was in a panic,’’ said Meade, who was first on the scene. “I didn’t know what to expect, honestly, going inside.”
Meade said he found one woman trapped by debris, which he unsuccessfully tried to move. The others in the house then told him there was a woman with baby—Allen—who was also trapped.
“There wasn’t a lot I could do there either,’’ Meade said. “I just tried to make the mother comfortable so she could breathe, but the fire department did most of the work.”
“In the moment, you don’t think about it,’’ the officer said. “All I could think of is what I could do to rescue them. Once I knew there wasn’t a lot I could do, it got pretty hard.”
Meade said he was thankful to see Allen had physically recovered from the ordeal.
“I’m glad she’s in the shape she’s in. It could have been a lot worse as far as her injuries,’’ he said. “It was a senseless tragedy. I’ll absolutely never forget it.”
Meade joined a dozen or so officers to deliver the surprise supplies to the family.
Officer Chrystal Foster said the Community Outreach and Public Education Division is responsible for building rapport with the community and help citizens with needs as they arise.
“Due to the tragic nature of what happened with Ms. Allen, we felt compelled to do what we could to assist her,’’ Foster said, adding they wanted to “bring a bit of joy to her and her family.”
“Anytime a child is lost, it’s very hard,’’ Foster said. “But they say joy comes in the morning, so in the morning we felt the need to be able to be a blessing to her and that is what we’re trying to do today. We are just overjoyed to be here.”
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