Sandi...I don't know who sent it...but the photos you posted show a very dry root ball and dry medium around it. The fine roots towards the top of the ball are good news....
OK...so this is what I would do:
I would soak the root ball ... the whole root ball ... in water for about 4-6 hours and I would put some sugar or molassas in the water (about 1T per gallon). After they are soaked, I would rub the orangy roots between my finger/thumb to see if the cuticle of the root comes off (the covering of the root...if that sloughs off it means the root is dead) and if it doesn't come off it means they are still alive. If they are dead, cut them away until you find viable roots. I wouldn't try to separate the plants as you may rip some of the viable tender new roots. You can 'squeeze' the rootball to losen the roots...then I would repot it, as is, into a plastic pot. Clay pots really don't work well for plants that are epiphytic or semi epiphytic because when the clay dries it kills the wee little roots that the plant as put out...and then those wee little roots rot when they are rewetted. I never use clay and I don't know anyone who does around here.
If it is for the "look" of clay vs. plastic, put your plastic pot INside a clay pot.
Hope this helps.....
