Stephen Bracciale roamed the streets of his Pass-a-Grille neighborhood in St. Pete Beach, Florida, which had been devastated by Hurricane Michael on Friday morning, looking for a location to charge his iPad and phone.
With the expectation that he would soon return home, Bracciale, a 71-year-old diabetic who has survived bladder cancer, left behind his wife of nearly 50 years, his dogs and cats, and the medical supplies he needs. He was not correct.
A neighbor said he could charge his phone in the car and offered to take him on a trip. Though Bracciale knew it would be difficult to locate electricity elsewhere on the barrier island, she graciously consented.
However, Bracciale had a dangerously high blood sugar increase after crossing a bridge with his neighbor. After being taken to an emergency department of a hospital, he was released to the custody of his son, Brandon Bracciale, who resides inland.
One day later, Stephen Bracciale is still unable to get home to get the insulin he needs to control his diabetes and the pouches he needs following his bladder cancer because the highways leading back to St. Pete Beach are closed. The father and son have been frantically looking for stores that will sell them in the interim.
In a Zoom interview, Brandon Bracciale stated, “We’ve been running all over Tampa trying to find these supplies to make sure he’s OK for the next few days.” He was sitting next to his father in his car.
Debra, the 72-year-old wife of Stephen Bracciale, is also stuck at home without access to running water. Stephen Bracciale stated that the couple’s car is buried in floodwaters and that they are unable to drive to a location that sells water.
He stated, “Hopefully, very soon, we’ll see emergency vehicles delivering water to people who have stayed on the island. As of yet, we haven’t seen any.”
Bracciale claimed that despite all that has happened to him, he is in a good mood.
“I’m doing fine,” he declared. “A little irritated that I had to search around for the necessary medical equipment.”
