ABC News(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — After witnessing a desperate call for help on ABC News from a caretaker at a Puerto Rico nursing home devastated by Hurricane Maria, a Florida man chartered his company’s private jet to bring critical supplies to the home’s residents.
“I want the world to know there’s a lot of old people here in Puerto Rico. They need help. We can’t let them die. We can’t let them die. And we need all the help we can get. Please. We need it,” Maria Ortiz, a caregiver, told ABC News’ Rob Marciano last week, after the deadly hurricane pummeled the U.S. territory.
Shortly after Ortiz’s call for help, Eyal Lalo, the CEO of Invicta Watch Group, reached out to Marciano on Twitter, offering to help Ortiz and the 11 elderly patients she cares for. Lalo immediately jumped into action, loading his company’s plane with $15,000 worth of supplies, and headed toward hurricane-battered Puerto Rico.
Rob Invicta wants to help. What can we offer. We can offer our corporate jet to fly in supplies Let me know @EyalAtInvicta
— Eyal Lalo (@EyalAtInvicta) September 22, 2017
“Our whole family wanted to do something,” Lalo told Ortiz when he met her for the first time on Thursday to surprise her with the supplies, which included scores of Advil bottles, nutrition bars, diapers and more.
“I reached out to Rob, telling him that we want to help out,” Lalo said. “We kind of figured out what you needed for the nursing home, and we bought everything you need.”
Ortiz said she did not know how to thank him. She told ABC News that since the storm hit, they had been surviving by using water from the creek behind the nursing home, and getting drinking water from her father’s well.
“I always had faith in God, and I said I know these people are going to help me,” she added.
The caregiver invited Lalo to come back to visit again in the future, so she and the residents can thank him once more.
“Please don’t forget us, when everything comes back and under control again. Please visit us, because we’re going to give more and more thanks to all of you,” she said.
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