Category Archives: Homepage Posts — Other

Losing and Gaining a Friend: A Blood Donation Journey

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by Alex Keilty

American Red Cross Regional CEO Hanna Malak (left) celebrates his friend Rodrigo Galindo’s 50th blood donation to the Red Cross at the San José blood center.

“We were the same age, we went to Boy Scout camp together,” says Rodrigo Galindo recalling his friend Steven. “Our dads served together on the same ship in the US Navy.”

When Steven became sick with leukemia, Rodrigo was about 13 years old and felt powerless to help. And then when Steven lost his battle with cancer, Rodrigo’s whole family mourned the loss. “We were god brothers,” he says.

Never forgetting his friend and the importance of blood donations for cancer treatment, Rodrigo donated blood for the first time in high school as soon as he was old enough. Since then, he has become a regular blood donor and recently celebrated an extra special accomplishment: his 50th blood donation to the American Red Cross.

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The Gift of Life Born From Family Tragedy 

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By Bob Loftis

Photo courtesy of Madhu Amesur – American Red Cross

Madhu Amesur has turned her family’s heartbreaking tragedy into an ongoing gift of life for the Red Cross, globally. In January of 2023, Madhu lost her son, Dilip, to a sudden and devastating health crisis. Dilip was 30, happily married and the devoted father of three little boys. Madhu, in deep grief, continued in her work as a blood donor ambassador at the Contra Costa Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Pleasant Hill, California where she has volunteered since 2006. Madhu fondly remembers the staff at the center who contributed to a fund for Dilip’s children; a community gesture that moved her deeply.  

“Last year, on my son’s first birthday after his passing, I wanted to do something special to honor and remember him. At my blood donor ambassador shift, I got the idea to ask my friends to donate blood and call it “Dilip’s Gift of Life,” said Madhu. “Soon so many people all over the world donated blood; it was such a joy for me to know that after his loss something good could be done to honor him. My mission on earth is to spread awareness for the everyday gift of life, encouraging people to donate blood and volunteer. We want as much awareness in the community as possible. The gift of life is precious, and anyone can give it.” 

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Saving Lives Through One Special Promise to a Beloved Grandmother 

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Photo courtesy of Olga Vasquez
American Red Cross

By Selena Nisha

“My Grandmother basically raised me after my father passed away because my mom was working full time to support us kids,” said Olga Vasquez, whose father died when she was seven-years-old. “She made me crocheted blankets, embroidered dish towels, and gave me China sets and glassware that she had been given as wedding sets when she was young. We’d go to the San José Flea Market almost every month. She would teach me how to cook recipes she learned from her mom, we even enjoyed watching soap operas together, “General Hospital” being our favorite,” Olga reminisced.  

Olga’s unbreakable bond with her grandmother led to a commitment to the American Red Cross. Olga remembers the time when her grandmother needed three blood transfusions after she underwent a heart surgery. During those first three years after the surgery, Olga states she became aware of how much the community relied on the blood supplied by Red Cross blood donors. These vulnerable moments impacted Olga greatly and inspired her to help anyone facing a crisis like the one her grandmother experienced.  

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“The most unusual deployment I have ever had”

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Photo courtesy of Ann Kuchins / American Red Cross

Ann Kuchins’ 1 yr Reflection of Typhoon Mawar Experience in Guam

Ann Kuchins recounts Typhoon Mawar as a unique deployment that gifted her with first-time experiences, some of which she could not have anticipated.

As a Red Crosser, Ann has prepared to volunteer several times in disaster-affected areas, including the fatal wildfire in Paradise, California.  Going to Guam was “the most unusual deployment I have ever had,” said Ann

The typhoon that hit Guam in May 2023 was by far the worst the island had experienced in the last 20 years, though typhoons were nothing new to Guam.  

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Sound The Alarm:  452 Homes Are Now Safer Thanks to Red Cross Volunteers, Local Fire Department and Community Partners

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1,236 smoke alarms installed throughout the Northern California Coastal Region in April

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly, can save you and your loved ones by cutting the risk of dying in half.

The American Red Cross responds to home fires more than any other disaster combined and for that reason, in April, our, along with local fire departments and community partners, installed 1,236 free smoke alarms, making 452 homes safer and provided home fire prevention and safety information to 1,210 local residents.

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A Drive to Do Good: How a tragedy led to compassion in the community

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Photo courtesy of Catalina Ramirez-Vaughn

When Catalina Ramirez-Vaughn was five years old and living in Mexico, something unforgettable happened to her younger sister, who was just a toddler at the time. Catalina was so affected by witnessing the incident and its aftermath that it has become her main motivation for organizing blood donation campaigns that support the American Red Cross. 

It was 1964, and her mother had just given birth to a younger brother. Grandma was looking after the children while drawing a bath of stove-boiled water because, as Catalina said, “We didn’t have running water.”

“My sister,” Catalina recalled, “didn’t listen to Grandma’s warnings to stay out of the hot water.” It happened so quickly that no one had time to stop the toddler, who stumbled into the scalding bath water.

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