2008 REAL HEROES Medical Heroes ~ Justin Rosenfeld, M.D., Lazeni Koulibali, D.O.
 March 18, 2008 was Dr. Justin Rosenfeld’s first day to join his friend
Dr. Lazeni Koulibali for a pick-up soccer game in Salem’s Bush Park. The two men, who work together in the Salem Health (Salem Hospital) Emergency Room (ER), were expecting to enjoy some well deserved recreation, but would soon find themselves in a tense situation usually reserved for the ER. During the game Koulibali heard someone yell, “A man is down, player down, player down.” Rosenfeld, having just run for an out-of-bounds ball caught sight of the player on the ground. Instinctually, both doctors rushed to the man, John Beechy, who was in need of aid as the other players backed away. The doctors checked John for responsiveness and then for breathing and pulse. Finding no pulse or breathing, Rosenfeld began vigorous chest compressions, and called for an ambulance while Koulibali started rescue breathing.
Lazeni Koulibali, D. O. (left) and Justin Rosenfeld, M.D. Dr. Koulibali and Dr. Rosenfeld are humble when recounting the story, but very clear that John is alive today because of their actions. Both doctors talked about how intimidating a medical emergency outside the ER can be. In the ER, they say it is “their show,” they walk in, have information, have sophisticated equipment, medicines and a team of trained professionals to carry out their orders. They thrive under pressure, but this was a different kind of pressure. Not being in the ER, however, did not deter them from saving John’s life. They continued CPR until the ambulance arrived and they were able to use an external defibrillator to restore rhythm to John’s heart. Once stable he was transported to Salem Hospital where he underwent bypass surgery and is now in full recovery. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy .” In the face of an incredible challenge, these men stood up to the ultimate measure. Thank you Dr. Rosenfeld and Dr. Koulibali, for dedicating your lives to saving the lives of others.
Spirit of the Red Cross Hero ~ Reverend Monsignor Charles Taaffe
 The late Reverend Monsignor Charles Taaffe, founder of The Father Taaffe Foundation, devoted his life to helping people through difficult times in their lives. The Foundation is a non-denominational, non-profit, charitable corporation, which has provided caring and secure residences for more than 1,000 pregnant teenagers and young mothers with their babies.
The Foundation operates three homes in Salem: St. Brigid Home, founded in 1975, offers a safe and comfortable household for pregnant teens; St. Monica Home, opened in 1991, provides young mothers and their babies a safe and nurturing environment; and St. Teresa Home has been accepting both pregnant and parenting teen mothers since 1998. The homes, which are certified by the State of Oregon, are comfortable and nicely furnished. Loving and supportive housemothers care for the girls. Their job is to create a family environment where the girls learn structure and acceptance. The housemothers are available 24 hours a day to help, comfort, instruct, encourage and share both the special moments and the difficult ones, with the girls. Many of the residents, who have come from all over the Pacific Northwest, have been abandoned and abused. Some have struggled with alcohol and drugs. Most have many needs, which the Foundation strives to meet. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Monsignor Taaffe’s vision to guide young mothers toward successful futures is a clear illustration of those words. We are humbled to honor a man whose work will continue to strengthen many youth in our community. Spirit of the Red Cross Hero ~ Claudia M. Thompson, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Retired
 Claudia M. Thompson was born June 11, 1935 in Ozan, Arkansas. She had a large family that included 13 siblings. Claudia’s father expected her to attend school, a notion that she resisted, wishing to be with her family to help look after her younger siblings and work in the fields. But her resistance was useless. As the only black student in a school of 2,000, Claudia became used to being a minority but she holds fond memories of her youth, especially the high school prom and graduation. By the early 1960s Claudia had married and started a family. Her parents had moved to Sandy, Oregon and while visiting them she and her husband fell in love with the Willamette Valley. They made the decision to move here. They followed several jobs to a couple of different communities before settling in Salem. Times were tough, requiring Claudia to work hard to help support not only her own family, but her extended family living in the area. In her quest to find a good job, she learned about The Manpower Act enacted by President Johnson. Through the act she would attend and graduate from Salem Tech (now Chemeketa Community College) as our community’s first African American LPN. With her license and high marks from her instructors she was able to embark on a long career in nursing with Salem General and later Salem Memorial Hospital. Throughout her career and since her retirement, Claudia has continuously helped family, friends and strangers in their times of need. One example of Claudia’s voluntary service to others is her quick actions assisting a man who collapsed during an insurance seminar in the fall of 2007. She quickly assessed the man’s condition by checking his vitals, advised someone to call 911 and provided care until the ambulance arrived. After the ambulance departed for the hospital, Claudia returned to the seminar room, where she was surprised by a standing ovation from the 50 people who had witnessed her actions. Even though Claudia has faced adversity in her life, she credits many people with helping her in her journey of helping others. She fondly recounted many occasions when she nursed members of our community back to health. Claudia has met life’s challenges head on and encourages family members to do the same. She has been and continues to be a shining example of humanitarian service and the Spirit of the Red Cross! Humanitarian Adult Hero ~ Hero Mario Tavera
 The rosary service that Mario Tavera and his son, Damin, had attended this day was a very special day. The service was for Mario’s cousin, Angie. Only a few years younger than Mario — Angie, Mario and Damin shared a special bond making the service and family gathering afterwards almost feel surreal. Mario could hardly believe Angie’s passing had actually happened. Upon leaving the gathering, Mario drove northbound on 99E, heading home. Mario listened to music as Damin slept. Through the darkness, he saw car lights in the distance, then more lights… then nothing, just pitch black. As he drew closer to the place the lights had disappeared, he saw the reason, a car crash. Even though Mario was afraid Damin would wake to the terrible sight of the crash, Mario left his son in order to offer help. He called 911 and provided the dispatcher with the crash location and assessment of the grim scene. A burning police car was on its side and Mario could see movement inside the car. Mario desperately tried to break out the vehicle’s windshield as the flames grew more intense. Soon police officers were on the scene, telling Mario to back away and let the officers fight the fire with extinguishers. Even though the scene was noisy as firefighters arrived and a life-flight helicopter arrived, Mario remembered all the sound going quiet in his ears. He was deeply saddened to find out Marion County Sherriff’s Deputy Kelly James Fredinburg did not survive the crash. Mario drove his still sleeping son home, his life profoundly changed. Mario said he was following his mother’s teaching that night, doing for someone else what he would want done for him. He says there should never be a line that you would not cross to help another person in their time of need. Today, Mario always wears a guardian angel medal around his neck. The medal was a gift from Angie’s mother. Mario feels certain that Angie served as a guardian angel to Damin that night, holding him safe and fast asleep. Mario’s courage in the face of danger speaks volumes about his humanitarian spirit.
Crisis Response Hero ~ Ed Bowman  For the past two years Ed Bowman has been a member of the Detroit City Council and Detroit’s Emergency Preparedness Commissioner. Bowman had been told that the later position would be dull and uneventful, a boast that would prove to be gross underestimation this past winter. Between December 21, 2007 and January 29, 2008 a total of 153 inches of snow fell in the Detroit area... and that was just the beginning. Bowman had been checking in on elderly and disabled community members before the storms hit as part of his preparedness and disaster response plan. He delivered a bleak report to City Hall. Driveways were blocked, residents were trapped in their homes and snow laden roofs were in danger of collapsing. Berms along city streets were 10 feet tall, there was only one road grader and two snowplows in town, but it didn’t matter, there wasn’t anywhere to put the snow.
Things were just as bad, if not worse, in Detroit’s sister city of Idanha. It was clear that help from outside was needed and Bowman led the way. Working with Idanha’s Mayor Karen Clark, Bowman helped to initiate a State of Emergency with Marion County Emergency Manager John Vanderzanden. Bowman also initiated contact with his favorite TV station asking for coverage on their situation. Those actions began a rapid progression of public awareness and emergency response activities, which would consume Bowman’s coming weeks, and most importantly, bring badly needed aid to the two communities. Days later, Governor Kulongoski declared a State of Emergency in Lake, Linn and Marion counties due to severe winter storms. Material and human resources from every imaginable agency and organization flooded in to the communities, ready to take on the Herculean relief effort. Regional and national news crews were also on the scene to document the influx of help. Meanwhile, the snow continued to fall. Undaunted by the enormity of the problem, Bowman took a leadership role, hosting a daily briefing for the cities of Idanha and Detroit to plan the daily recovery efforts. He continued to work with the media, liaison with emergency officials and continued to make his daily rounds to his community’s most vulnerable members. When we approached Bowman about this award, he was hesitant to take credit for his actions and quick to point out the actions of other people like Idanha Mayor Karen Clark and emergency responders who had worked tirelessly. He was clearly overwhelmed to be singled out for his work, but proud of the community’s collaborative relief effort. He cited a personal responsibility to contribute to the well being of his neighbors and the importance of everyone doing something to help. Military Heroes ~ Oregon National Guardsmen Sergeant 1st Class William Lowe Captain Daryl Ottaway and Staff Sergeant Richard Powell
 On February 13, 2008 a man collapsed to the floor at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem. Captain Daryl Ottaway, who witnessed the fall and suspected a heart attack, yelled down the hall for someone to bring the automated external defibrillator (AED). Ottaway checked for breathing and a pulse. Finding none, he began CPR. By this time, Staff Sergeant Richard Powell, an experienced Army medic, had arrived with the AED, a medical kit and an oxygen tank. While Powell made the AED ready for operation, a third man joined the rescue effort. Sergeant 1st Class William Lowe cleared the victim’s chest, literally
(Lowe on left, Ottaway in middle, Powell on right) ripping the man’s jacket and shirt away with his bare hands. The AED was used to analyze the victim; shock was advised and delivered, restoring the heart’s rhythm. Meanwhile the 911 dispatcher was called. Ottaway continued to monitor the victim who had begun to breathe weakly following the shock for the AED. Lowe and Powell prepared and administered the oxygen. Care for the man was systematically transferred to the paramedics upon their arrival to the scene. During the transfer of responsibility, Ottaway observing that the victim had quit breathing again, verbalized the problem, after which time the paramedics delivered another shock from the AED. The man began breathing again, becoming more coherent and responsive as he was placed on a stretcher for transport to the hospital. The Red Cross is proud to celebrate the efforts of these men who came together, putting their emergency training into life-saving action! Community Partner Hero ~ Mountain West Investment Corporation 
Heroism may be recognized by an act to save the life of one person or when support is provided to the lives of many. The scope of support to our community demonstrated by Mountain West Investment Corporation (MWIC), demonstrates the latter. The Salem-based company, founded in 1995 by Larry Tokarski, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to make a difference in our community through support of over 50 local charities. Larry and his children are especially interested in charities that benefit children and the elderly. He was instrumental in the starting of the “Forever Homes” via Catholic Community Services – which is a network of homes in the area where foster children will be guaranteed a permanent home, with live-in “parents”. Charities like the Meth Strike Force, Family Building Blocks and the Salem Leadership Foundation represent just a few of the local charities which are closest to the heart of Mountain West Investment Corporation. Some of the other agencies which have received major support are: üLife Directions üBlanchet School Scholarship ü“Yes” for Schools üMarion-Polk County Food Share üSalvation Army (& KROC Center) üDept. of Corrections (educating inmates) üBoys & Girls Club Larry Tokarski, Founder üChemeketa Community College Foundation üYWCA üYMCA
ü Boys & Girls Aid Society ü South Salem Senior Center Thank you Mountain West Investment Corporation for consistently helping our neighbors in need and for helping to build a stronger community!
 Professional Rescue Hero ~
Marion County Sheriff’s Office
Our Professional Rescue Hero is a law enforcement officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office who must remain anonymous. Our honoree, who was off-duty, provided emergency medical care to an unconscious man including rescue breathing, CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). When an ambulance arrived, the unconscious man was attempting to breathe on his own. We are blessed to have such well trained responders in our community, helping people in need, whether they are on duty or off duty. This is a perfect example of why the Red Cross trains people to Check, Call, Care. By checking the person in need of medical attention and then calling 911, one is able to provide dispatchers with valuable information. This information will help professional responders provide appropriate treatment within seconds of their arrival. The care in this case was opening the airway, using an AED and performing CPR when every second counted. Congratulations to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for giving someone another chance at life! | 
