Red Cross Talks (Page 18)

Now that some COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in your area, you might be thinking about indulging yourself with delicious dinner at your favourite restaurant. But would you know how to react if your dining companions’ airway became blocked?

First responders have advanced first aid training which allows them to stabilize a patient until emergency medical services (EMS) arrives. In rural and remote communities where EMS can be hours away, having local first responders on the scene can mean the difference between life and death.

Most Canadian Red Cross international emergency health clinic deployments last four weeks.  In fall 2020, however, Garry Enns of Manitoba was the first Canadian Red Cross humanitarian worker to support the clinic from start to finish.

Peter and Donna Collens, a couple from Newfoundland and Labrador, have an unwavering commitment to giving back and helping the community. Their Red Cross story began with volunteering and it will continue long into the future thanks to the legacy gift to Red Cross that they have left in their wills.

Meet Wegdan Rashad Abdelmoemin. Wegdan moved to Toronto, Ontario, just over two years ago, and started volunteering not long after. An international medical graduate, with training in psychiatry and mental health, she is currently studying to get licensed as a doctor in Canada.

This summer, Walmart and the Red Cross have worked together to raise $4.2 million across Canada through customer donations, Walmart internal fundraising, and a corporate match of $820,000 from Walmart Canada’s corporate office.

Enjoying the gentle busyness retirement has to offer, Heather Dewar, former CPR instructor of more than 25 years, went about her day like any other. Then, when her neighbour collapsed, Heather’s years of experience told her exactly what she needed to do next.

On August 30, the Canadian Red Cross, along with members of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, mark the International Day of the Disappeared. For the families of those missing, each passing day without contact from their loved ones is one of uncertainty and anguish.