NEWLAND — When Appalachian State football resumed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in late October, no one was more excited to return to work than the “Elevator Queen,” Suzanne Baber. For the past three seasons, Baber has worked the elevator at Kidd Brewer Stadium where she is passionate about “lifting people up” in more ways than one.
The Mountaineers’ first home game back was about so much more than just football for the recently devastated area. The atmosphere was celebratory, a much-needed return to joy and normalcy in the wake of unimaginable loss. Boisterous fans filled the stadium, and Baber felt relief to be back in her element. She wore a brilliant smile and her newly customized black-and-gold Mountaineer shoes.
No one could have guessed she’d lost everything in the storm — everything except the clothes on her back, her two cats and her favorite pair of shoes. An avid sports fan, Baber procured a job providing medical aid at App State sporting events in recent years. When the university launched an EMT program for students, her role shifted to everyone’s favorite “lift” operator at “The Rock.”
“That’s my elevator,” she stated, a fact no one dares challenge.
When the storm hit, Baber woke in the middle of the night to see water rising on her property near Newland. When she called the police, she was shocked to learn they’d evacuated her area several hours earlier. Somehow, she’d inexplicably been left behind in the mayhem. The water had risen to within inches of her bridge. The police urged her to leave immediately before she was trapped, so she packed her cats in a carrier and drove straight to the station.
After a friend offered her a bed for the weekend and the storm cleared, Baber tried to return home. She found it completely submerged, and everything she owned was underwater.
“I was in shock,” she tearfully remembered. “Sixty-two years’ worth of stuff, all gone.”
Family photographs, heirlooms passed down from her grandmother, a fully functioning boom box she’d received from a friend in 1999 with an 8-track player.
The donation center at Newland Presbyterian loaded her up with basic supplies. Baber spent almost every day for the next eight weeks sifting through the wreckage of her home and helping her neighbors do the same. But in true Baber form, she kept her sense of humor even while her heart broke with grief. Looking to create laughter amidst the loss, she held a mock memorial service for her beloved boom box on a video call with the friend who’d gifted it to her.
One day, her friend Hope was helping with clean-up and discovered a surprise treasure covered in mud — the sparkling black-and-gold pair of shoes Baber ordered specially for the football season with her name on the sides. Hope cleaned them up, replaced the ruined shoelaces and returned them to Baber good as new.
“It’s little things like that that don’t feel so little,” she said with a smile.
The road to restoration for Baber and so many others in her situation will be long and arduous. Holding out hope that her home can be rebuilt, she is diligently working with organizations like FEMA and Samaritan’s Purse to set those plans in motion.
In the meantime, she and her cats, aptly named Grey Kitty and Brown Kitty, are living in a trailer provided by Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland. When she got the call to come back to work, she was elated. For Baber, going back to work at the job she loves was a much-needed distraction and important reminder that life continues on.
Returning to work and reconnecting with everyone at the stadium brought deep healing. Word of Baber’s tragedy had spread, and many came up to hug and check on her. She even ended up talking with one particularly large man in black-and-gold-striped overalls, who had a posse of photographers around him. He was very interested in her story, so she shared about her loss. That man was former NFL player Jason Kelce, though she didn’t recognize him in Mountaineers gear.
Kelce’s identity was finally revealed when Baber innocently asked him, “Do you like football?” and the entourage around them snickered with laughter. He kindly handed her a stack of gift cards, and they snapped a picture together. When she apologized for not recognizing him, he smiled and said he preferred it that way.
Through these challenging times, Baber holds strong to her faith in God and her love of people and animals. In the future, she plans to downsize rather than try to replace everything she lost. Catastrophes like Helene bring clarity to what is most important.
“If I rebuild, all I want is the basic things. What do we really need in life? If you’re alive, then you’re doing good,” she said with conviction.
It’s never easy to transition from being a giver to someone who needs help. Baber feels uncomfortable prioritizing her needs when so many others are also struggling. For this reason, she has only asked for help to rebuild her home. However, everything needs to be replaced. If you’d like to help Baber with gift cards to assist in replacing basic necessities and household appliances, consider sending a donation to 2034 Land Harbor, Newland, NC 28657.
As we enter the holiday season and reflect on all our blessings, big and small, Baber reminds us how work can provide dignity and motivation for the healing road ahead. Baber’s role as an elevator operator is unique, just like her. But no matter your job or vocation, it’s worthwhile and meaningful to fulfill and deliver quality service.
Let’s take a cue from Baber — lace up our shoes, show up and give where we can. We never know how our seemingly routine actions could positively impact someone else — even, or especially, at the push of a button.
