Red Cross Honors Oregon Heroes
  

What does it take to be a hero? A dramatic mountain rescue? Snatching someone back from the brink of death? Or simply being in the right place, at the right time, to make a difference?

The American Red Cross' signature event – the Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions – features the stories of Oregon's heroes, who come in all shapes and sizes. There's the mom who remembered her high school training to perform CPR. The dog whose warmth protected her companions through a harrowing night. And the community leader who has helped people manage problems, regardless of their past.

On Tuesday, March 11 at 7:30 a.m., these local heroes will be honored during a breakfast ceremony in the OregonConvention Center’s Portland Ballroom, 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. Tickets for the event are $50 ($30 is tax-deductible), and funds go to support disaster relief, CPR/first aid training, and senior/disabled transportation services throughout the Oregon Trail Chapter’s seven-county service area. For more information or to purchase a ticket, call 503-528-5631.

2008 HERO PROFILES

 

Neighborhood Hero: Maria Gastellum
Everyone wants a guardian angel; someone to watch over them and guide them along the right path. But only a lucky few have met Maria Gastellum, the real-life version of this protective spirit.

A mother of six, Maria works tirelessly as the housekeeper for Hacienda Community Development and the Balthazar Ortiz Community Center, often performing duties that go far beyond her job description. She also works to educate other Latinas about domestic violence and alcohol abuse, as well as how they can take better care of themselves.

Despite Maria’s countless contributions to the communities in which she lives and works, like a true guardian angel, she never seeks recognition. Rather, she remains a silent hero, always ready to help anyone in need.

 

Community Hero: Roy Jay
What if erasing your past mistakes was as easy as waving a magic wand? While there is no magic involved in Roy Jay’s Project Clean Slate, it still manages to achieve the same miraculous results.

Project Clean Slate began as a grass roots effort designed to help remove some of the barriers to employment, housing and transportation that people convicted of minor crimes often face. Since it was founded in 2005, Roy has helped thousands of Oregonians expunge minor convictions from their records, giving them the opportunity to make a fresh start.

Although the project was initially financed from Roy’s personal retirement account, he hopes that additional government funding will help keep the magic going for many years to come.

 

Wilderness Hero: Chris Lu
Accidents never take a holiday, even if people do. While at Timothy Lake over Father’s Day weekend, two people were seriously injured while driving their ATVs, long known for causing fatal accidents. Lucky for them, PGE employee Chris Lu was nearby when tragedy struck.

Chris immediately jumped into action, notifying 9-1-1 and organizing triage and treatment for the victims, one of whom had a life threatening injury. For more than an hour, Chris provided care for the riders until help arrived.

According to those at the scene, Chris’ professional demeanor helped keep things calm during a stressful time, giving the survivors a shot at many more holiday weekends ahead.

 

Good Samaritan Heroes: Doc Harms & Clay Baggerly
If you stumbled upon a horrific car accident, would you stop to help or just keep on driving? Fortunately for four-year-old Chanelle Meyers, good samaritans Doc Harms and Clay Baggerly chose the former.

The veterinarian and off-duty paramedic knew just what to do when they spotted Chanelle’s lifeless body entangled in the wreckage of her friend’s mini van. Working together, they were able to free Chanelle and carry her to safety, providing care until Canby Fire paramedics arrived on the scene to administer advanced life support.

Doctors did not expect Chanelle to survive and she remained in critical condition for nearly a month. Incredibly, she was able to walk out of the hospital just three months later, thanks to Doc and Clay’s heroic actions.

 

CPR Hero: Susan Richardson
Bandaging scrapes and kissing bruises is just part of a mother’s job. Performing CPR to save her child’s life, on the other hand, goes well beyond the average mother’s duties.

When sixteen-year-old Robby Richardson collapsed on his kitchen floor one summer evening, it was his mom, Susan, who quickly went to work to save his life. After instructing her younger son Hayden to call 9-1-1, Susan began CPR, a skill she learned way back in high school, with the verbal guidance of an emergency dispatcher.

Although it eventually took life-saving drugs and six shocks from a defibrillator to revive Robby’s heart, doctors say it was the chest compressions Susan performed prior to the arrival of emergency responders that really helped save her son’s life.

 

Animal Hero: Velvet the dog
Compassion. Reliability.Warmth. These are all qualities that a person looks for in a best friend, even if they’re of the four-legged variety.

When Matty Bryant and his hiking companions found themselves stranded on Mt. Hood during a winter storm, his black Lab/Shepherd mix – Velvet – took turns cuddling with the hikers, keeping them alert and warm through the long, cold night.

Velvet’s good deeds do not stop there. As an animal assisted therapy program graduate, she is trained to visit patients in local hospitals, nursing homes and treatment centers, as well as students in schools and libraries. No matter where she goes, Velvet’s loving nature brings comfort to everyone she meets.

 

 

Blood Heroes: The Weiss/Parker Family
For many people, giving blood once or twice in a lifetime feels like enough. But for Sam Weiss and his family, 1,228 donations is simply the beginning.

Since 1976, the Weiss/Parker family has made a tradition of donating blood on New Year’s Day as a way to honor Sam’s father, Morris Weiss, who donated 22 gallons of blood during his lifetime. This past New Year’s, the tradition was kept alive for another year when 15 family members spanning four generations gathered at the American Red Cross Portland Donor Center for their yearly donation.

Since the tradition began more than 30 years ago, the Weiss/Parkers have donated approximately 153 gallons of blood for patients in need. If one donation can help save up to three lives, just imagine the thousands who have benefited from this family’s generous gift.