Fifth Ward native sent carbon monoxide detectors to families prepping for cold
When an arctic storm started moving toward Houston, Minnesotan entrepreneur Sheletta Brundidge knew instantly her hometown would not be prepared.
Brundidge, who runs a podcasting platform for Black creators, was born and raised in Fifth Ward and graduated from the University of Houston. She’s used to hurricanes, and the tragedy that befalls towns along the Gulf Coast when disaster strikes. Last summer, when Hurricane Laura slammed into southwest Louisiana, she lost five family members to carbon monoxide poisoning after they turned on a generator in their garage and strong winds slammed the door shut while they were sleeping.
“I knew people were going to be desperate,” Brundidge said.
With temperatures as low as the single digits in some of Houston’s suburbs, residents have turned to unsafe heating practices like bringing barbecue grills inside and leaving ovens on overnight to stay warm.
Carbon monoxide poisonings have shot up in Houston as people struggle to avoid hypothermia. As of late last week, preliminary numbers from the Harris County Fire Marshall’s Office show that 580 people have been sickened by carbon monoxide poisoning calls since Monday. That includes two fatalities, after a woman and an 8-year-old girl died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Sharpstown.
A carbon monoxide detector could help many residents avoid tragedy. After she lost her extended family, Brundidge went to national news outlets and local TV stations with a plea to buy and check their devices to make sure they worked, but soon she realized that many could not afford to buy one.
“I started hearing from people, ‘We saw your campaign; we appreciate it, but we don’t have any money to get a detector,’ ” Brundidge recalled. “‘I know it’s only $30, but I’m on a fixed income. $30 might mean whether my kids get medicine.’ ”
Last week, Brundidge reached out to First Alert, a safety-product company that manufactures smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, for donations to send to people in Houston who would be caught off guard by the cold. The company gave her 100 to ship out.
She sent her plea to local TV stations, asking residents to contact her through her website, shelettamakesmelaugh.com, if they needed a carbon monoxide detector. The requests — 450 of them — poured in.
To try to meet demand, Brundidge and her children bought 100 more from a local hardware store and rushed to find packaging for her to ship them across the country. They sent the first batch on Thursday but don’t know if the devices made it to homes before over a million people lost electricity in Houston, and icy roads kept delivery drivers off the streets.
“Even if they don’t make it, maybe that story reminds them of what to do to keep their families safe,” Brundidge said.
After seeing news reports about the families sickened by the colorless, odorless gas, Brundidge knew she had to do more. What started as a vacation fund to visit Texas with her husband and four children turned into another pot of money to buy more detectors for Houston residents.
“Only 430 people died last year from carbon monoxide poisoning, but if that’s one of your relatives?” she said. “That’s one too many.”
Experts said people should avoid running their cars in their garages to stay warm, using generators and grills inside or turning on gas stoves and ovens to heat homes. If using a fireplace, stay awake while the fire is on, make sure the chimney flue is open and keep an eye on the flames.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Confusion
• Vision changes
• Ringing in ears
• Loss of consciousness