Step Talk

CONCORD, N.H. -- The father of a baby rescued from the rubble of a home destroyed by last week's tornado said he is grateful for his stepmother, who gave her life trying to save his son.

Brenda Stevens, 57, was killed when her Deerfield, N.H., home collapsed on Thursday when a tornado struck the town. She had her 2-month-old grandson, John Paul Stevens, with her when the house collapsed, but he was relatively safe in a void.

"Brenda was holding onto him, and when the tornado came through, my father ran down to get to the both of them," said Jeremy Stevens, the baby's father. "From what I gather, (the baby) was pulled out of her arms, and she held onto him long enough so that he didn't get thrown around."

Stevens said that after the storm went through the town, all of the roads to his neighborhood were blocked by debris. He ran 5 miles up a road and then swam across the lake to get to his son.

The baby's cries led rescuers to his location.

"He banged his head up a little bit," he said. "He got a couple of war wounds up there, and his knuckles got a little bit, too."

Stevens said that he isn't ready to deal with the details of the tragedy. But he said that his stepmother would have been glad to know that she helped save his son.

"Because of her, he's still here," he said. "I love her more than anything in the world."

Stevens helped his father build the log cabin on the lake, and he was living there, raising his two sons. The house is gone, and his stepmother was killed, but Stevens said that he doesn't need anything.

"I really don't need anything else, because I have everything that I need," he said.

Nonetheless, the family has received help from the community and the Granite State.

"I never thought it would happen to me and my family and kids," Stevens said. "Now that it has, I just can't believe how big people's hearts are."

The family said that on top of what they lost in the tornado, the baby's mother just lost her job.

Although Stevens said that he doesn't need anything, his relatives have set up a fund to help. Donations can be made to:

Jeremy J. Stevens Relief Fund
TD Banknorth
50 Glass St.
Suncook, NH 03275

**from cnn.com**