Tag Archives: Regional

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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A Childhood Dream, A Lifetime of Service 

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Oakland Fire Captain and Red Cross Volunteer Brian Oftedal attends Career Day at Ron Nunn Elementary School in Brentwood with his daughter, Camryn.
Photo courtesy of Brian Oftedal

From the time he was a little boy, Oakland Fire Captain Brian Oftedal knew he wanted to be a firefighter. Brian laughs about writing an autobiography in kindergarten, “I talked about how when I grow up, I wanted to be a firefighter-paramedic, just like John Gage and Roy DeSoto in “Emergency.” With my friends, our bikes would be our emergency vehicles and we would open and close the garage door and respond to calls.”

It didn’t take long for Brian to fulfill his lifelong dream, and in the process, to make a decades-long connection with the Red Cross. As a teenager, Brian took part in the Paramedic Explorer program, got his EMT certificate, and took the Red Cross Professional Rescuer CPR and First Aid Class.  “Brian was born to serve,” says Eva Marquez, American Red Cross Volunteer Engagement Manager. “He was in high school when he started and was the youngest volunteer on our team. I would see him volunteering at the Red Cross First Aid Station at the Livermore Wente Winery during their concert or co-teaching a CPR/First Aid class with a big smile.”

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