Pt. Beach Girl & Teammates Have Been Rescued from Peru!

This is amazing! According to a source, every American in his district that Chris Smith was fighting to help is now back on U.S. soil.

I received a message Friday afternoon from Kathy Given, the mom of Kirby Given who graduated from Point Beach High School, with the news that Kirby and her college Rugby teammates were on their way to the U.S. Embassy in Peru to be flown home.

Kathy wasted not one moment when she learned that her daughter and others were stuck in Peru due to the pandemic when the borders were closed. Distraught and wanting to do anything she could to get her daughter home, Kathy found a way to reach out for help from the media right away, and when U.S. Congressman Chris Smith saw our blog his office immediately jumped into action.

Now that they are back home, the students do need to quarantine for 2 weeks. But the relief that Kathy feels is tremendous, and she is so thankful for everyone who shared the story of her daughter to so quickly grab the attention regarding Americans who couldn't get out of Peru.

Kirby, pictured here (she's the one in sunglasses) grew up in Point Pleasant Beach. Her mom now lives in Toms River. Kirby and her teammates from Salisbury University in Maryland were on a Rugby team playing in Peru before the severity of the caronavirus pandemic changed the world as we know it. CLICK HERE for the original story.

Here's a big THANK YOU to Chris Smith (who also recently secured 41 million of medical gloves for health care workers) and his dedicated staff for getting things done where it concerns family and health care!

We also posted about a couple on their honeymoon in Peru. Melyssa Kruxen La Verde is from Toms River. I spoke with her this morning and she, unfortunately, doesn't have the same good news about getting home. She says that she and her husband are still stuck in Peru and have received no emails or phone calls from anyone who can help them get home to San Diego. Their Airbnb is up tomorrow so they are just going to pack up and head to the airport if they don't get a call today.  Both of Melissa's parents live in Toms River along with her brother, Donald Kluxen, and his family.