We want to give a super-glorious shout-out to our volunteers Dolly and Phyllis! Based in our Minnesota and Dakotas region, their work as blood program leaders has helped thousands of patients.
“How far back would you like to go?,” said Phyllis when asked about her service that started with going door-to-door to recruit blood donors in the late 1960s.
Dolly began around 30 years ago when a friend asked her to call donors for upcoming drives. “Then I had a neighbor with leukemia who needed a blood transfusion,” she said.
Their efforts are focused on three, 3-day drives held every year in the City of Fergus Falls in west-central Minnesota. These nine drives collect on average more than 500 units of lifesaving blood.
We could not be more grateful for this remarkable volunteer duo or more proud of their 80+ years of combined service. Still going strong: their next drive will be in September.
Thank you, Dolly and Phyllis, for being exceptional humanitarians and supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross.
The Airmen’s contribution to the safety of their fellow citizens reflects the spirit of the American Red Cross by using action to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergency. Thanks to their Red Cross and emergency training, as well as their quick response and professionalism, Airman 1st Class Damian Cordoba and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Thompson were able to save two lives in their community and earn one of the highest awards given by the American Red Cross.
Airman 1st Class Damian Cordoba (above left) of the 5th Medical Group saved a life while off duty and working a shift at local restaurant, The Starving Rooster, on November 8, 2022. When he realized that one of the restaurant’s patrons was choking, Cordoba rushed across the restaurant and, without hesitation, began performing abdominal thrusts on the man. After several attempts, the object was still in place so he began more abdominal thrusts and then performed a throat sweep, dislodging the obstruction. Photo from Minot AFB.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas Thompson (above right) of the 5th Security Forces Squadron saved the life of a fellow Defender while posted at Minot AFB’s South Gate, December 20, 2022. In an attempt to open a bucket of ice melt, the Airman utilized the knife part of a multi-tool. Thompson was manning the gate when he heard a loud crash and returned to see the Airman on the ground with what appeared to be a minor cut. Upon further inspection, Thompson realized that the Airman had sustained a severe arterial cut on his forearm. He instructed the Airman to apply pressure on the wound while he applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding until EMS arrived at the scene. Photo from Minot AFB.
Zoe Wergeland Manstrom (above left), executive director of the Western North Dakota Chapter of the Minnesota and Dakotas Red Cross, and Lorie Herbel (top right), Service to the Armed Forces Regional Program Manager, presented the awards to the Airmen at Minot AFB in June. To learn more about Red Cross lifesaving skills training click here.
Copy and photos used with permission from Minot AFB.
Bradley Arnold is a sweet, fun-loving 10-year-old boy who loves fishing, farming and searching for treasures with a metal detector. But five years ago, unlike other kids his age, Bradley was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
Bradley Arnold, 10.
“It just appeared all of the sudden,” said Mandy Arnold, who noticed a bulge under her son’s shirt. She knew something wasn’t right, so she took Bradley to an emergency room. After four hours, they were sent home with a diagnosis of severe constipation.
But nothing changed overnight – the bulge was still there. That day, they were lucky enough to get an appointment with his pediatrician who ordered several tests.
Mandy recalls the look on the doctor’s face and knew right away something was wrong. “Our world turned upside down when I heard the doctor say she was confident it was kidney cancer.”
They went straight to a regional hospital, where they went through a in-depth series of questions and tests. That night, Bradley had an ultrasound, showing an 8-inch tumor, weighting more the three pounds. “It was the size of a cantaloupe – I couldn’t believe it got so big, so fast,” said Mandy. Bradley was scheduled for surgery the next morning to have his left kidney and a Wilms tumor removed.
Bradley recovering in the hospital following surgery. Submitted photo.
“I never thought I would have a child with cancer,” said Mandy. “It’s just not our nature to think of worst case scenarios.”
Thankfully, doctors were able to remove the entire tumor – it had not spread to other parts of Bradley’s body. Following surgery, Bradley required blood and platelet transfusions to help his body recover and heal.
Every Friday for the next 19 weeks, Bradley had chemotherapy treatments. “He never complained – he blew me away with how resilient he was,” Mandy said.
Witnessing her son’s bravery and cheerful outlook through his cancer journey, brought a new perspective to Mandy. “I’m a changed person – our family all went through this together – and we look at life differently now.”
“When your struck with a nightmare, the last thing you want to do is to worry about what you need,” said Mandy. “We’re so grateful the blood that Bradley needed was available when he needed it most.”
It wasn’t the first time the Arnold family was helped by the generosity of blood donors. Mandy needed transfusions after complications when her first and third children were born.
Mandy now serves as a Red Cross blood program volunteer leader with the Minnesota and Dakotas Red Cross Region. To celebrate Bradley’s five-year cancer free milestone and to raise awareness of the need for blood products to be readily available for cancer patients, the Arnold family hosted a blood drive on Monday, June 5, 2023. Family, friends and the community came together and rolled up a sleeve to honor Bradley. Forty nine blood donations were made in honor of this brave cancer warrior.
Bradley Arnold at the blood drive held in his honor, thanking donors for their “roll” in helping save lives with a Tootsei Roll goody bag!
You can help patients like Bradley! Schedule a blood donation today to help ensure lifesaving blood products are available whenever and wherever they are needed most. Visit redcross.org/mndaks to make an appointment or for more information.
As a weeknight news anchor and reporter for Dakota News Now in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Brian Allen reports on home fire stories often, but never expected to experience one of his own.
On June 3, 2020, in the midst of the pandemic which had already brought uncertainty to so many, Brian and Anne Allen’s lives turned upside down when they lost the place they and their children called home.
Like many home fires, it started in the kitchen.
The Allen’s were lucky, their home had working smoke alarms and the fire was reported quickly to 911.
“Thankfully nobody was injured and although this was a traumatic event, it was not a tragic one. Even our dog and pet bunny made it out to safety,” said Anne.
The fast-burning fire was hot and intense – evidenced by a ceiling fan in the living room that melted off its base or the melted hair on her daughter’s American Girl doll.
“It was a crispy, burned-out shell of what was our everything,” grieved Brian.
The upper level of their home had so much smoke damage that the sheetrock had to be replaced down to the studs. “It’s incredible how much damage can happen in a short time with a fire that is ultimately small,” said Anne. There was no structural damage, but the smoke damage was extensive – “it’s mind-blowing how smoke can even enter drawers.”
The man in the red vest
After the fire trucks and insurance adjuster left, the Allen’s sat in their garage contemplating what to do next. They remember an older gentleman in a red vest slowly walking down their driveway towards them – it was a volunteer from the American Red Cross.
“We were surprised the Red Cross showed up – we didn’t realize they responded to home fires,” said Brian. “He couldn’t have been nicer, more compassionate, more understanding – he gave us some supplies and cash cards to help with our immediate needs as well as help pay for a hotel for a few nights. He even brought stuffed animals for our kids.”
Anne vividly remembers his reassuring, calm voice. “He told us that things would get better. I can’t express how meaningful that moment was,” she recalls. “He was there to help us in our darkest hour. He was a godsend!”
As they recalled the day, Brian remembers saying to his wife that “he didn’t know how they were going to repay the Red Cross, but someday they would.”
Although their house was temporarily unlivable and they had to relocate for about five months, the Allen’s were thankful their family was safe, and they had a place to go. “We just lost stuff – it doesn’t compare to the alternative. We were super lucky and we’re grateful it wasn’t worse.”
Turning compassion into action
“You never think it will happen to you and then it does,” Brian said. “Now, when I’m driving to and from work and I see a home fire my heart just breaks, I know exactly what that feels like – it’s just devastating!”
Brian is now turning his compassion into action by serving on the Red Cross Eastern South Dakota board of directors. “I’m fortunate that I’m in a position to be able to help build awareness and inform the people of eastern South Dakota what the Red Cross is doing to help when disasters strike – “I want to thread the message of kindness and let them know what the Red Cross is doing for our community.”
The Allen’s hope people can learn from their misfortune. “We were those people – we didn’t have a plan,” said Anne. “We don’t like to relive our story, but if it can help anyone or encourage families to have conversations about what to do if they have a fire that would make us happy.”
Home fires are considered one of the most frequent disasters in the U.S. For example, in the Minnesota and Dakotas region last year, our disaster action team, 90% of who are volunteers, responded to more than 1,000 home fires that affected more than 4,000 people. The Red Cross offers people the immediate financial support they require to purchase things like food, shelter, and other essential recovery items, and provides emotional support.
After a home fire, Red Cross volunteers work with local fire departments to connect with families for needs like emergency lodging, food, financial assistance, and emotional support.
DONATE: Thanks to donations, Red Cross services are free and available for all those in need. Visit redcross.org to support our lifesaving work.
VOLUNTEER: The need is constant to help families affected by home fires and other disasters. Visit redcross.org/givetime to become a volunteer.
HOME FIRE SAFETY:Home fires claim seven lives a day in the U.S. but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. Llearn more about home fire safety and preparedness.
American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region 