Be A Hero American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Five years following a bone marrow transplant and a lot of blood and platelet transfusiojns, Charlotte Rerko remains cancer free.  But it was a challenging journey, made possible only because of generous blood and platelet donors.  Charlotte talks about her journey with Red Cross communicators Jim McIntyre and Christy Peters of the Northern Ohio Region.

Tim Graichen witnessed a violent car crash while on his way back to Akron from a work event in Tennessee.  He used his Red Cross First Aid and CPR training to help save the life of the driver, who showed no signs of life at the scene of the crash.  Tim talks about performing CPR for more than 15 minutes, his worry over being contaminated with the stranger's blood, and what became of the driver he assisted.

She's the Sandra Bullock of the Akron Fire Department.  If you're familiar with the movie Speed, Terra's harrowing story of survival will be familiar to you.  If not - just wait until you hear this veteran firefighter/paramedic calmly recount the scary seconds that could have meant life or death for her and her partner when the ambulance she was riding in went out of control. "I'm pretty sure that our ambulance is gonna need a new set of brakes, along with some body work," Terra said during the interview.  She is a 2024 Acts of Courage Award Winner, sponsored by the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.

Three students of the Kent State University School of Nursing helped save a man in distress in downtown Wooster, Ohio.  The man was experiencing a violent seizure when students Audrey Jokovich, Keenan Orr, and Marissa Tyger happened to be walking by as they were working on a school assignment.  They provided aid and obtained valuable information about the patient before EMS arrived on the scene.  All three credit their Red Cross Basic Life Support training for helping them know what to do and how to stay calm in a very stressful situation.  Hosted by Jim McIntyre, Regional Communications Director of the American Red Cross of Northern Ohio (and proud KSU grad - class of '81.)

Hannah Stein saved a woman from drowning in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Jenna Omar performed abdominal thrusts in her school cafeteria to save a fellow seventh-grader.  Both tell their stories to Jim McIntyre and Christy Peters of the Red Cross Communications Department.

Summit County Sherrif's deputy Brian Gorham and Don Sedlock, a bystander who spotted a fire in his neighborhood teamed up to help rescue an elderly man who was trapped in the home, and have been named Acts of Courage award winners for 2024 in the Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley chapter. Red Cross Communicators Christy Peters and Jim McIntyre of the Northern Ohio Region get their story, and talk to Brunswick Fire Chief Greg Glauner about the importance of the partnershipp with the Red Cross to end home fires.