My name is Roosevelt Thornton. I lived with my kids, my girlfriend and her kids in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina. I wanted to evacuate, but my girlfriend did not want to, so we stayed and rode out the storm.

After the storm passed, a neighbor came knocking on our door to tell us the water was coming. We had no idea what was happening or where to go. We grabbed the children and started walking, ending up at the Convention Center.

The following days were very hard with a 4 week old baby and little children who were thirsty and hungry. We tried to cross the bridge to Gretna, but the police shot over our heads, forcing us back.

We were eventually evacuated to San Antonio on a friend's private jet. Enduring the shelters there was almost as difficult as the Convention Center. I had no way to find my grown kids or to know what had happened to my home and belongings.

Finally, with the help of some new friends we met at the shelter, we were able to contact our families and resettle in a new home.

This new friend has written a book about us and our experiences. I told her as much as I could remember, and she tells the story from her perspective. You can read more about me and the book at www.eagleswingspublications.com - the book is called "Angels and Quilt Pieces...Our Journey with a Katrina Family" by Stephanie Ehmen.

Thank you for letting us tell our story. We are struggling to start a new life. The kids are in therapy and we all re-live the events over and over in our minds.