Bringing help and hope: Volunteer nurses find sharing their skills rewarding

Posted on May 8, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Honoring professional healthcare volunteers during National Nurses Week

By: Kelly C. McClure, MLS, BSN, RN, American Red Cross volunteer

What does a disaster look like? There’s no rough blueprint or an all-encompassing definition for the word, but for those who have lost everything in a fire, flood, earthquake, or hurricane, it can look like complete despair. In the United States alone, a disaster occurs approximately every eight minutes. Stretched out, that’s more than 60,000 disasters each year that the American Red Cross will deploy volunteers to help victims by supplying clean water, food and shelter. But what happens when there are physical injuries, wounds or medical conditions that need immediate attention? The Red Cross’ team of volunteer nurses are there to help.

Beth Kartman-Orgel, RN, Red Cross volunteer

The volunteer nurse corps for the Red Cross include an amazing team of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) who undergo many hours of training to become Service Associates (SAs) with the Red Cross’ Disaster Health Services. In addition to learning first aid, providing care at a shelter, psychological first aid, mass casualty education and deployment training, they also learn how to reunify families that have been separated. Once deployed, they not only provide physical assessments of injured victims who may need to be transported to a hospital for a higher level of care but also provide valuable health care education to victims.

One of the many dedicated nurses in the volunteer nurse corps is registered
nurse, Beth Kartman-Orgel, who has been a nurse for 46 years and a volunteer nurse with the Red Cross for six. During this time, she has deployed to many disaster sites including several in Florida after hurricanes and some in California during wildfires.

“Being deployed is a whole lot different than being a regular nurse,” Beth said. “You need to be able to think on your feet, make do with little to no equipment or support and, at times, without electricity, running water or supervisors because there is no internet or phone service.”

Any nurse will tell you that each day brings with it a whole new set of challenges. However, as a volunteer nurse in the Red Cross, those challenges look somewhat different.

“I love the challenges we face on deployments — the different ethnicities,
languages, and belief systems among staff and clients,” she explained. “I always loved camping, so showering in a truck, washing at a sink with bottled water, if need be, using flashlights to make rounds or give meds or change dressings is all in a day’s work.” Undoubtedly, Beth loves what she does for the Red Cross and has also completed Disaster Health Services supervisor training, which she hopes to utilize on her next deployment.

Deploying to a disaster area after a hurricane or wildfire isn’t the only way nurses can be involved with the Red Cross. Registered nurse, Cindy Russo, has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for 30 years and began her journey in Blood Donor Services at blood drives. Here, she completed donor registrations and medical histories and obtained blood pressure and hemoglobin tests before blood donation. In more recent years, Cindy has predominantly worked in Disaster Health Services, assisting victims after home fires to obtain new prescriptions for their medications and necessary medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen machines. In the past, Cindy has also deployed to regions affected by hurricanes and has even helped install smoke alarms in local homes. After 30 years of volunteering, she has found the work to be extremely rewarding.

“Helping those in a time of need is the most rewarding part,” she said. “It is a great extension of what many nurses do every day and is a way to use their skills and talents to help others.”

If you’re a nurse and want to volunteer with the Red Cross, browse through the listings of volunteer opportunities and complete an online volunteer application.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer
Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Tragedy often inspires charity

Posted on April 21, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By J.D. Brink, American Red Cross volunteer

Pauline Skaff first volunteered for the Red Cross the week of 9/11.

Like many people after that tragically fateful day, she felt the need to do something. And she has been doing it for 22 years now. More impressive than that, she is 94 years old.

Pauline Skaff, Red Cross volunteer, 2008

“People were lined up around the block,” Pauline said, describing the scene at the Red Cross the week following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Obviously, she wasn’t the only person motivated to help her fellow Americans. “But I didn’t know if they were going to let me do it. She really put me through the ringer,” Pauline said of the then manager of Toledo’s Executive Parkway location.

Volunteering is not an automatic process. The Red Cross vigorously screens their volunteers. Being trusted with the public’s blood and private information is a high bar to pass.

Five more volunteers started at the same time she did. And Pauline is the only one still there every week, like clockwork. “I’ve outlasted them all,” she said proudly.

Pauline Skaff works the reception desk every Tuesday, checking people in to donate blood. She gave up her usual Thursday shift to make room for University of Toledo medical students who wanted to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic. She stands ready to pick up that slack again, though, whenever they may need her.

And she hasn’t just worked the desk these many years.

“I don’t know how many gallons I’ve given all together.” But Pauline does know that she has pins marking her 2 gallon, 4 gallon, and 8 gallon accomplishments. “My doctor doesn’t want me to give anymore though. I guess being 94, that’s a good idea,” she laughed.

She also had to think about how many jobs she’s retired from. Before becoming a dedicated Red Cross volunteer, she worked at the University of Toledo bookstore for eight years. One day after that, her daughter asked her to temp for one day as a receptionist at the WLQR radio station. She worked there for seven more years. “The last job I retired from was at the Board of Elections,” she said, where she oversaw absentee ballots, especially for overseas military voters. It seems service has always been a part of Pauline Skaff’s life.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

A legacy of giving

Posted on March 16, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By J.D. Brink, American Red Cross volunteer

I first gave blood because my father had given.

He gave because my sister had leukemia.

He may have given blood before that, but I was too young to know. On Labor Day 1986, my sister Ashley was diagnosed with leukemia at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Toledo. She was three years old at the time. I was not quite ten.

Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow. Since the bone marrow is where blood cells are manufactured, patients with leukemia have a severe lack of them. Red blood cells deliver oxygen throughout the body. White blood cells fight infections. Platelets stick together to form blood clots so we don’t bleed to death. For those with leukemia, these are all in tragically short supply.

I don’t remember a lot from that time. But I do remember her smile, her dancing, her wonderful personality. I think most of my mental images of Ashley come from pictures and home movies. And in the vast majority of them, Ashley is bald. A smiling, beautiful, three- and four-year old girl with no hair. Her hair loss was caused by the chemotherapy used to treat her cancer. Not only did it take hair, it killed her blood cells too. Because of this, Ashley received many blood transfusions. My dad’s blood was not compatible, so he gave so that others could get what they needed.

I have retained some memories of my own from that time. The handmade sign that hung in our mudroom, just inside the backdoor, warning of every one of Ashley’s low cell counts, asking them to take their shoes off and minimize germs coming into the house. Another was a big handwritten list of rules for my brother and I from Grandma Brink, taped to the closet door. Guidance when Ashley and our mom spent weeks or months at a children’s hospital in Wisconsin. I remember my Uncle Pork (not the name on his birth certificate) staying with us when both parents were there. And I remember all of us staying at the Milwaukee Ronald McDonald House, which is a wonderful charity that supplies a place for families to live while their children are hospitalized away from home. We even spent a Christmas there.

Ashley had a bone marrow transplant on Halloween, 1987. Since all the nurses were in costume, she insisted on dressing as a witch that day, too.

She passed away January 15, 1988. She was only four years old. Her light shined amazingly bright for someone so young with so much pain in her life.

I’ve had a good cry writing this article, reliving memories that had long been forgotten. It feels good.

My father, David Brink, passed away September 20, 2021. Cancer was a factor. My grandma’s list of rules was still on the closet door when we cleared out his house. In his lifetime, he’d donated gallons of blood. I think it was nine gallons. Maybe twelve? (We know how unreliable my memory is.) He signed up to be a bone marrow donor, too, but was never matched for it. But he would have done it, gladly.

I started donating blood as soon as I was legally able, at 18. My first time was in the high school gym, during my school day.

I give because of everything you’ve just read. So did my dad. I hope my son will someday, too.

If you’d like to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets, please visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-RED CROSS.

https://leukemiarf.org/leukemia/statistics/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4365-leukemia

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Celebrating our Volunteers and Supporters this Red Cross Month

Posted on March 1, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Samantha Puselski, American Red Cross communications volunteer

For 80 years, March has been declared American Red Cross Month with a presidential proclamation. The tradition started in 1943 with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to recognize all those who have answered the call to help others through the American Red Cross.

This Red Cross Month, we celebrate the work of the Northern Ohio Red Cross volunteers – who make up over 90 percent of the Red Cross’s workforce. We also celebrate the supporters – those who have donated blood, donated funds, taken a course, shared their story or contributed to the mission in other ways. The work of the Red Cross is not possible without those who volunteer, work and provide support.

American Red Cross volunteers Callene Derrick and Jeff Mann

While the Red Cross is a national and international organization, they also have a profound impact locally every single day. Here are just a few facts that represent the history and magnitude of the work that has been done thanks to the support our communities and partners provide:

 The Red Cross and our partners have installed more than 100,000 smoke alarms and helped create more than 37,400 escape plans in Northern Ohio households through the Sound the Alarm campaign.
 The Red Cross responds to disasters providing support to those affected. Most recently the Red Cross provided more than 100 overnight stays and nearly 400 meals to those in East Palestine, Ohio.
 The Red Cross helped survivors of the Titanic.
 Service members in every U.S. conflict since the Spanish-American War have been supported by the Red Cross.
 International Committee of the Red Cross was won the most Nobel Peace Prizes.
 The Red Cross has responded to 3 million U.S. disasters since 1881.

Take Action this Red Cross Month

There are many ways you can support the Red Cross. Celebrate Red Cross Month by supporting your community through one or more of these activities:

 Donate Blood. About 40% of the nation’s blood supply comes from Red Cross blood donors. Blood drives are held every week in locations across Northern Ohio. Find an upcoming drive.
 Become a volunteer. The Red Cross offers many different opportunities to volunteer in Northern Ohio. These roles include administrative support, clinical support, disaster response, IT support, blood donor ambassadors and more.
– Interested in becoming a volunteer? Join the upcoming volunteer information session
on March 10th.
 Make a Financial Donation. Donations of any amount can make a difference. The Red Cross offers several different ways that you can make a financial contribution.
 Take a Class. Get trained and certified in a lifesaving skill. Find a class.

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross Board Member and communications volunteer

Inspired by a loved one’s gift: One of a thousand reasons to give life

Posted on February 13, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By J. D. Brink, American Red Cross volunteer

Everyone has their own reasons for donating blood with the American Red Cross. Some are inspired by family members, donating to follow in their generous footsteps. Others are charitable by nature. What could be more charitable than giving the gift of life? And former recipients of transfusions sometimes see it as a means of giving back, returning a past favor when they themselves or someone they love were in critical need.

For Candy Sendelbach of East Toledo, it’s a combination of all three.

“My husband was diagnosed over a year ago with a very rare blood disease,” she said. “Greg is the love of my life. Funny, creative and loves helping others. Someone donates blood so he can have regular transfusions that allow him to still be active in spite of his disease. I choose to pass that gift to someone who is in need.”

Greg has PNH. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a disorder that leads to the premature destruction and impaired production of blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen in the body. White blood cells fight infections. And platelets clot the blood to stop bleeding. All three are affected by PNH. The long, complicated name is derived from the visually shocking results patients may find first thing in the morning, when their urine is colored with dead blood cells.

“Bone marrow transplant is the cure,” Sendelbach explained, “but he would not survive it, so he gets medication infused every two months. Unfortunately, the meds aren’t working well so he is receiving blood transfusions every four to six weeks now. While my blood isn’t compatible, I donate so someone else can have a chance at a better life. We are grateful for the donor who helps us and believe God wants us to bless others.”

Sendelbach said that she sometimes donates whole blood but usually gives platelets. “That way I can give more often. And I know they’re going directly to cancer patients.”

Whole blood can be given every eight weeks, up to six times a year. Power Red donations (concentrated red blood cells) can be given every 16 weeks. But platelet donors may give every seven days, up to 24 times a year.

Toledo’s Executive Parkway location is her blood donation center of choice. A whiteboard on the wall lists where the day’s donations are going. Sendelbach listed cancer patients and a car accident victim as examples she’s seen.

“The people are phenomenal and great to work with,” she added. “Knowing where your blood is going keeps you motivated to give again and again. It’s easy, very little pain and the reward far outweighs any inconvenience.”

To find out if you are eligible to donate blood, visit this page. Ready to give blood to give someone the gift of life? Then find a blood drive near you HERE.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

This is the way to start a New Year

Posted on January 13, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Doug Bardwell, Red Cross volunteer

If this were a typical January, we’d still be talking about how difficult it is to maintain New Year’s resolutions, how The Ohio State Buckeyes coulda/shoulda won the NCAA College Football National Championship, and who’s going to make it to the Super Bowl. (Spoiler alert – not the Browns.)

January is also National Blood Donor Month, celebrating all those who volunteer to donate blood and platelets to help save lives. But due to recent weather events, those precious donors are even more critical than ever.

Approximately 10 Red Cross blood drives across Northern Ohio were canceled due to extreme weather during the week of Christmas in December. These cancellations resulted in a shortfall of more than 260 blood donations. Many more blood drives were canceled elsewhere across the country due to the weather, resulting in even more potential donations going uncollected.

Christy Peters, blood donor and Regional Communications Manager with the American Red Cross

This isn’t a typical January

Instead, our thoughts and prayers tonight were centered on those on the west coast. Four years ago this week, I volunteered with the Red Cross for the horrific Paradise fire outside Chico, California. It was so dry there that the fires spread faster than firefighters could manage, and there wasn’t enough water to save the town.

Now it’s too much water, as California braces for repeated ‘atmospheric rivers’ and ‘bomb cyclones,’ where 10 percent of the US population is under severe storm advisories. Think about that – 10% of our entire country is in fear of weather catastrophes, from flooding to sinkholes to landslides.

Red Cross workers outside a shelter in Northern California

For the Red Cross, many more blood drives could be canceled over the next week as those gigantic rain events cross the state and people try to find safe roads to escape the floodwaters.

But the need doesn’t stop

Winter is typically one of the most challenging times to collect blood products, even without the insane weather. So, now would be an ideal time to make a New Year’s resolution that can save up to three lives with each of your donations. A typical whole blood donation takes less than 30 minutes.

Donors of all types are needed, particularly type O donors, the most needed blood type by hospitals for emergency surgeries. Statistics show that one in seven patients entering a hospital needs a blood transfusion, yet only 3% of Americans actually donate.

Now’s the time

Whether you are a first-timer or a returning hero, everyone who donates before January 31 will be automatically entered to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, with pre-game activities, game day tickets, airfare, three-night hotel accommodations, and $500 gift card.

Join a winning team – make a blood or platelet donation. Book now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Student organizes blood drive and wins Red Cross scholarship

Posted on June 9, 2022 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Samantha Pudelski, American Red Cross volunteer

Did you know that American Red Cross provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply? These critical blood donations come from individuals in our community who donate their blood during blood drives.

Andrew Lazowski, a high school student at Bay Village, decided he would coordinate a drive to help support the critical need for donors through the Red Cross’s Leaders Save Lives Program. He knew about the critical need for blood donations and how necessary they are for patients in an emergency. Several of his family members have held drives in the past and one of his family members also lost a battle with acute leukemia. Blood donations can help cancer patients, trauma patients and individuals with certain disorders, just to name a few.

With the help of Melissa Weiss, a Red Cross account manager, Andrew planned a blood drive at the local police station. Andrew found the help invaluable, saying, “she explained the technology and business aspects for the drive and was always encouraging and willing to answer any questions. She helped me with the recruitment process and provided items for me to include in a first-time donor basket.”

Through the blood drive, Andrew was able to recruit several of his friends as first-time donors and teach them about the blood donation process. “For my blood drive, I focused on recruiting my high school friends and classmates, none of whom had ever donated before,” said Andrew. “They are all signed up again to donate at my second blood drive and I am thrilled to know that I am making a positive difference for those in need.“

Individuals are eligible to donate blood at age 17, and in some states, people can donate starting at 16 with parental consent. The drive resulted in a total of 30 pints donated, which ultimately helped members in their community. Additionally, Andrew was chosen as one of the winners of the Leaders Save Lives Program scholarship drawings. He plans to use the $1,000 scholarship towards furthering his education in biology and pre-med.

Why should you or a student you know consider hosting a blood drive? “I would tell others that hosting a blood drive is fun and a unique way to give back to the community,” Andrew said. “Students will learn about what goes on behind the scenes in a nonprofit organization and the importance of supporting local blood drives.”

Holding regular blood drives in our communities helps to ensure a strong blood supply throughout the year. If you or someone you know is a student looking to give back to their community, the summer program is open from now until Aug. 31, 2022. The Red Cross also will be holding drives throughout Northeast Ohio for individuals to stop in and donate blood. You can find an upcoming drive near you by visiting redcross.org/give-blood.

The Leaders Save Lives Program encourages community-minded high school and college students to host blood drives during their school breaks. It provides students an opportunity to gain valuable leadership skills and community service by recruiting classmates, friends and family to donate blood. The student who plans and hosts the blood drive is then eligible for a gift card valued up to $200 and is eligible to be entered to win a Red Cross scholarship if at least 25 pints of blood are donated.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross Volunteer

One Man’s Dedication: The Joseph DeRosa Legacy

Posted on April 6, 2022 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Sue Wilson, Red Cross Community Volunteer

The lifeblood of the Red Cross is its volunteers, and in particular, its blood donors. Joseph DeRosa was the definition of lifeblood, having donated an astounding 165 pints of blood in his lifetime.

Valerie Stanley shared the story of her grandpa and his dedication to the American Red Cross and its blood donor program last month. She and her children, Joseph’s great grandchildren, Eva and Isaac delivered a check to the Red Cross for $1,860 in his name.

Joseph DeRosa was a dedicated high school math/psychics/chemistry teacher for over 30 years. After retirement, Valerie said she and her brother spent their summers at their grandparent’s house. One day, years before he passed, her grandpa told her he had something very important to share with her. He opened a cupboard and took a white box from the shelf. It was filled with pins from the Red Cross honoring his many blood donations over the years. “Here are all my Red Cross pins,” he said. “I want you to make sure that when I die, they are buried with me.”

It was not something Valerie wanted to think about at the time. “My grandpa was one of those people who went through so much in his life, faced health challenges and got through them, and to me he was invincible,” she said. When he passed on March 5, 2021, the first thing that came to her mind was her grandpa’s request. She went straight to his house to get that box of pins, which had continued to grow in number.

The Red Cross recommends donors wait 56 days between blood donations. Joseph kept a calendar for the year, with the first day he could donate again marked, and he always went right away to make his donation. Valerie said she never knew exactly when her grandpa’s commitment to blood donation began, or if there was a particular reason behind it. “He knew it was something he could give, to help others in need. If he could convince the world to donate blood, he would!”

If there was a word to describe her grandpa, Valerie said it would be: dedicated. “He was passionate in everything he did in life, from his dedication to his family, to the students he taught in his many years as a teacher, to his volunteering for the Special Olympics for over 35 years, to the Red Cross.”

Joseph DeRosa is survived by his wife of 66 years, Patti DeRosa, his 2 sons, Joe DeRosa and Bob DeRosa and his legacy of grand and great grandkids.

“I want to make sure that when I die, they are buried with me.” – Joseph DeRosa

“After his passing, I remember reading comments on his online obit and saw so many of his former students commenting how he changed their lives. So many have successful careers that they attribute to him and I know he would be so proud of that legacy.”

Every blood donation can help save up to three lives. Blood donations are used for patients in need of surgery, cancer treatment and transfusions for blood loss from traumatic injuries. The lives Joseph DeRosa has saved are in the thousands. Can you imagine, if everyone had such dedication to blood donation?

Learn more about blood donation and where you can donate HERE.

Veronica Wise, Volunteer and Longtime Blood Donor

Posted on August 2, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Christy Peters, External Communications Manager

Veronica Wise began her journey with the American Red Cross at the former Portage County Chapter. As a volunteer, she helped coordinate blood drives and was a regular blood donor. So regular, in fact, that she has given more than 210 pints of blood to help patients in need. It is an amazing gift to give, and Veronica was recently recognized by Nancy Janis, the Executive Director of the Summit, Portage and Medina Counties Chapter for her efforts on behalf of the Red Cross.

Red Cross volunteer and blood donor Veronica Wise received a Red Cross pin from Nancy Janis, Executive Director of the Summit, Portage and Medina Counties Chapter.

Not only did Veronica impact her community and the countless patients she helped save through blood donation, she instilled that same commitment to giving in her family. Karen Wise, Veronica’s daughter, knew from a young age the importance of giving back. She watched her mother donate blood and it made an impression on her. “When I was 16 it was a given – get your driver’s license and your Red Cross donor card,” Karen said.

Karen displays the Red Cross Blood App

When asked about donating blood, 90-year-old Veronica insists, it wasn’t hard. “I enjoyed every minute of it.” The importance of donating grew for the Wise family when another of Veronica’s daughters was diagnosed with breast cancer. The family began giving platelets in her honor. Though, sadly, she lost her battle, the family continues to give blood regularly.

Karen shares that Veronica’s commitment left a mark on her family. “It’s something we can continue on,” she said. The Red Cross congratulates Veronica for her many donations and thanks her for inspiring so many to join her in helping save lives. If you are so inspired, you can make an appointment to donate blood at RedCrossBlood.org, or call 1-800 RED CROSS.

Photo Credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross. Visit our album on Flickr for more photos.

Thankful for YOU, NEO

Posted on November 24, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Thank you for all the support you give to the Red Cross in Northeast Ohio!

Without you, none of this would be possible. So, today, we are thankful for you.

To learn more about our services in NEO, visit http://www.redcross.org/neo.

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

Tag Archives: Blood Donor