MI Blood Donor Headed to Sunny L.A. After Winning Trip to Super Bowl for Giving Lifesaving Blood

All blood donors in January 2022 also eligible to win trip to Super Bowl LVI Mary Eddy, left, with a fellow teacher at St. Patrick Catholic School in Portland, MI. Courtesy Mary Eddy. When Mary Cook received a call from the Red Cross that she won a trip for two to the 2022 Super Bowl …

Calling all superheroes – Your one act of service through blood donation can save lives

DeAndra Smith, Sickle Cell warrior, joins Red Cross MI Region to help raise awareness, increase donations “It felt like I had an expiration date on my head.” That’s how DeAndra used to feel about living with sickle cell disease. She was diagnosed with this chronic, excruciatingly painful and sometimes life-threatening condition at two years old. …

Civil Air Patrol Leader Becomes First Time Blood Donor to Inspire Others

Maj. Gen. Phelka challenges CAP members to roll up a sleeve and help patients in need during national blood crisis “I wanted to help inspire other Civil Air Patrol members to give blood,” said Maj. Gen. Edward Phelka, national commander of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), civilian auxiliary to the U.S. Air Force. Phelka made …

Michigan Red Cross assists nursing student who lost everything in apartment fire

When fire ripped through the Riverview Crossings apartment complex in Riverview, Michigan late Easter night, resident Mykela (MY-keel-ah) Lane wasn’t at home. She had previously been home for 11 days in quarantine due to COVID-19 and was enjoying her first day out celebrating Easter with her family and friends. “A neighbor called my cell phone …

Long-time Michigan Red Cross volunteers say helping others is ‘a very precious thing’

On April 4, 2021 Long-time Red Cross volunteers Dick and Carole Beauchamp were getting ready for a much-needed vacation to Houston, Texas when a senior assisted living center in Flint, Michigan caught fire. After the call came in, the couple did what they always do – they quickly responded to provide assistance to the residents …

Red Cross East Central-Bay Board Member Mike Snyder knows the importance of having a working smoke alarm in your home

“Fatal home fires frequently happen in homes without a smoke detector or with smoke detectors without working batteries,” said Mike Snyder. Snyder of Auburn, Michigan knows firsthand the sad reality of fatal home fires. Mike first became a volunteer firefighter at the age of 16 and went on to become a fire chief for the …

Michigan woman who lost home to fire surprised at how little time she had to escape the flames

In January 2011, Amy Krug of Fenton, Michigan was on her couch watching a late-night television show when she dozed off. Around 12:30 a.m., she was awakened by her dog, Tanner, who was acting strangely. Tanner was letting Amy know there was a fire in her utility room, even before the smoke detector went off. …