Red Cross Nurse Returns from Helping Evacuees

David Caporali

One of our local volunteers has recently returned from providing aid to evacuees at two Florida airports.

Red Cross nursing volunteer David Caporali deployed twice in a four-week period to care for evacuees from the Haiti earthquake. He spent three days (starting Jan. 19) at Sanford International Airport, then Feb. 8-15 at Miami International Airport.

He said every disaster deployment is different, but one thing that’s always the same is that you learn something new.

He learned that people rescued from rubble are grateful for everything. Some children with nothing will share everything, especially food.  Also, he learned that babies from a tropical country won’t eat applesauce; They eat what they know, such as Bananas, papaya, and mangos.

In Orlando, he met elderly people, some as old as 105, who were grateful to be alive after being buried in rubble for days. Some only wanted hot food and other basic comforts, like drinking water from a glass, not a bottle.

In Miami, Caporali said Red Cross volunteers provided hundreds of orphans with diapers, toys, food, comfort, and room to play — and provided caregivers a much-needed break. Two little ones latched onto him, “one on each finger,” and quickly became fascinated with the automatic faucets in the bathrooms. He saw a group of children share a packet of crackers, older ones giving to younger ones. It reminded him of “We are the World.”

“The Red Cross takes care of the world’s children,” he said. “It’s a wonderful song and it pertains to the Red Cross.”

Caporali has had a long history of helping people. He got his first Red Cross training at 17 as an emergency medical technician. He later became a Red Cross Disaster Nurse and a Red Cross instructor at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital School of Nursing, Perdue University in Lafayette, IN.

His first Red Cross disaster deployment was in 1980. A tornado hit Bloomington, IN, so he and an EMT took an ambulance into the field to bring patients to the hospital. Wherever debris blocked the road, they transferred patients to other ambulances.

For many years after that, while working in nursing, he volunteered as a Red Cross Health & Safety Instructor.

During the 2004 hurricanes he helped neighbors by grilling their food before it spoiled. When he heard about Haiti, he jumped at the chance to help again.

During this recent deployment, several people saw his Red Cross vest and wanted to thank him, give to the Red Cross, or just know more.

He hopes licensed nurses will volunteer with the Red Cross — to help cover shelters when Florida sees another series of hurricanes or any other large-scale disaster.

Students coming out of college are good candidates, he said. That’s how the Red Cross attracted him, but nurses of any age can help.

“Retired staff would be great because they don’t have to work,” he said grinning. “They can give the time.”

Red Cross has helped for one month in Haiti

It may be hard to believe, but it has already been a month since a series of earthquakes struck Haiti, killing 200,000 and leaving 3 million to cope with lost loved ones, lost homes, and lost jobs.

With your help, they haven’t lost hope.

Once the first quake ended, the American Red Cross began working around the clock to provide emergency relief and assistance to survivors. One month later, the Red Cross has reached hundreds of thousands more with relief supplies, food, medical services, water, sanitation support and shelter.

Thank you for coming to the aid of the families left homeless, hungry and frightened by the January 2010 Haiti earthquake. To follow the American Red Cross response as it evolves, please visit www.redcross.org/haiti. You can also receive regular updates through the Red Cross Blog, Disaster Online Newsroom, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube sites.

You can help the victims of countless crises, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

The American Red Cross was able to respond immediately to this earthquake — even before donations were received — because of contributions already made to the International Response Fund. Please consider helping the Red Cross as we prepare for the next emergency.

Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org.

Progress has been made, but there is much more to do.

Read our One Month Update.

Cellphones save lives

TEXT “HAITI” to 90999

This mobile fundraising initiative is a partnership between the American Red Cross, Mobile Accord and the mGive Foundation that is supported by the U.S. State Department.

Customers of participating wireless carriers can text message “HAITI” to 90999 and make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Donations will appear on customers’ monthly bills or be debited from a prepaid account balance. Message and data rates may apply. After sending your text message you will receive a confirmation text that asks you to reply “YES” if you intend to donate. After that, you will receive one more text asking you to reply “YES” if you want to receive text updates from the Red Cross. If you would like to opt-out from receiving future updates, you simply do not need to reply to this message, or you can send “STOP” to 90999. To see the terms applicable to donations, please visit www.mgive.com/A. Receipts for donations are available at www.mgive.org/receipt.

On January 12, a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.5 to 7.3 devastated Haiti. The American Red Cross is working with its partners in the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, including the Haitian Red Cross, and other partners to assist those affected by this disaster.

Your gift to the American Red Cross will support emergency relief and recovery efforts to help those people affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Assistance provided by the American Red Cross may include deploying personnel, sending relief supplies, and providing financial resources.

Participating Carriers:

Alltel
AT&T
Cellular South
Cellcom
Cincinnati Bell
Cricket
nTelos
Sprint
T-Mobile
U.S. Cellular
Verizon Wireless
Virgin Mobile

I am a Red Cross volunteer at airport comfort station in Sanford…

I am a Red Cross Volunteer.  I have been working for the past week on the huge operation to help the returning US Citizens and foreigh nationals being flown to Florida following the devastating Earthquake in Haiti nearly two weeks ago. 

Yesterday was very sad.  I was working at the Red Cross Comfort Station at the Orlando Sanford International Airport which is entering its second week of operation.  Red Cross disaster relief workers took care of 80 orphans who had been flown into Florida on a military aircraft. Many were weak and had fevers, minor wounds and diarrhea.  There were adoptive parents waiting for them at the airport.   These are families who had been in the middle of the adoptive process for children from orphanages in Haiti before the earthquake struck.

When the children arrived they were kept out of sight of the press and public in the customs hall at Orlando Sanford International Airport and our Red Cross workers were invited in to look after them. What was very impressive were the young people, all members of the Mid-Florida Red Cross Teen Corps, who did an awesome job over a long period to make the incoming children feel a little less stressed. They did anything and everything.

We were able to give them water and a little food. Too much would have caused them worse problems after days of near starvation. They each got a soft toy and we provided coloring sheets and crayons to try and keep them occupied. 

We also changed the nappies of the little ones and gave clothes and blankets.  We had two  Red Cross nurses who worked very hard to treat superficial wounds and attend to the children who were obviously unwell. 

It was a very sad scene as you can imagine.  Many of us found that we only had to be nice to a child and the little one become attach to you and then of course they became very distressed when you had to leave or they had to be taken away to another area.  One little girl of about two years old , who I had helped and fed, clung tightly onto my leg as the authorities tried to move her on for further processing. It left me with a lump in my throat but there were so many that ones own emotions had to be kept in check and I had to remember that we had to do our best with all the children.

Those little ones were in survival mode.  Many collected the items they were given in plastic carrier bags.  I guess if you or I lost everything we would do the same.  It really brings home the scale and severity of the aftermath of this disaster which is going to impact an estimated 3 million people affected for a long time to come.  

The Red Crossers I worked with remained focussed despite long hours, difficult working conditions and emotional stress.  They are a real credit to the organization.

by Jane Bowden

Flight from Haiti lands in Orlando area, 99 year old among the survivors

I watched from an airport window on Saturday, January 16, as 186 people walked off a huge military plan after what had to be a harrowing journey from Haiti. All were survivors of the devastating earthquake.

  They looked tired and they were hungry and thristy but most seemed in surprisingly good spirits.  I did see one woman crying, though.

I was there with a group of 12 Red Cross volunteers who were supporting the Orange County Department of Children and Families as the survivors returned home.  The room was quiet for the most part.  Many of the evacuees needed food and water which the Red Cross gladly provided.  I saw moms and dads, kids and grandparents sit down for a few moments to eat and collect themselves.  Red Cross nurses cared for 3 evacuees who needed medical attention. 

 It didn’t take long before some of the evacuees began to board buses to Orlando International Airport where they were either taken to local hotels or caught onward flights to other parts of the country.

Among them was a 99 year old great grandmother named Yla Lilavois.  She told Red Cross volunteer Jane Bowden that she had been on the second floor of a three story block when the earthquake struck.  She said there was no warning and part of the building collapsed leaving her trapped by her right leg. 

 Neighbors rescued her and she spent four days out on the streets, sleeping in a car at night with a broken leg and with very little food or water.  Thanks to the help of a neighbor she managed to make her way from Canape Vert in Port au Prince to the airport.   

 From Orlando, Lilavois, who is an American citizen and retired seamstress, traveled to Miami to be reunited with her daughter and grandson.  She arrived in the United States with no luggage, just her purse and one day supply of essential medications.

 Jane accompanied her through the airport to her departure point to make sure she made her flight.  A few hours later, Jane spoke with her daughter and learned Yla was home safe, in the arms of her loved ones.

That’s just one survivor’s story.

Yla awaits her next flight

American Red Cross is gathering help for Haiti

Haiti, our neighbor in the Caribbean Sea, has just suffered a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

The American Red Cross is gathering help to provide disaster relief to the people in Haiti and is asking for your help.

So far, American Red Cross has pledged $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake, and is prepared to do more after local responders assess the situation. We expect to see immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support.

In the next few days, the American Red Cross expects to release relief supplies from one of its warehouses in Panama for approximately 5,000 families and to deploy a disaster management specialist to Haiti.

The American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region is accepting donations now to assist families in Haiti through the International Response Fund. Potential donors may contact their local chapter offices, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or visit www.midfloridaredcross.org to make a secure online donation.

Local chapters are not sending local disaster workers at this time. However, chapters do have volunteers taking a large volume of calls from the community looking to help.

If you haven’t already done so, please donate to the relief fund. If you need to contact family members in Haiti, please contact your local chapter.

Volunteers have seen more than 20 fires this holiday season

(Dec. 26, 2009) — Just when we think we’ve seen a break in holiday season fires, we see more.

It has been a busy holiday season for Red Cross volunteers this year. So far, we’ve seen 25 families displaced or affected by home fires since Dec. 17 in several Mid-Florida Region communities, including a fire in Coco on Dec. 23, and one in Auburndale on Dec. 25, Christmas Day.

Fires have also occurred in Orlando; Crystal River in Citrus County; Ocala in Marion County; Titusville and Palm Bay in Brevard County; Spring Hill and Brooksville in Hernando County; Sanford in Seminole County; The Villages in Sumter County; Lake Helen in Volusia County; Sebring in Highlands County; and Haines City, Winter Haven, Bartow, and Lakeland in Polk County.

Over the four-chapter and 13-county area, volunteers have helped nearly 70 people – a third of them children – while families gathered for the winter holidays and as nights grew colder.

Home fires occur more often during holidays and cold weather for many reasons: Mistakes with alternative sources of heat, cooking mishaps, and simple accidents with holiday decorations, candles, or lighters. Families lose homes or possessions when it can hurt the most. The American Red Cross will respond after a fire but also urges prevention. A full list of tips is available at www.midfloridaredcross.org.

Please take precautions to prevent fires in your homes and communities, replace the batteries in your smoke detectors, and please support their local Red Cross.

Another two fires displace families in Haines City and Sebring

December 20, 2009 — Sunday was another busy day for house fires.

American Red Cross volunteers responded to a chimney fire in the Sebring area shortly after noon. The man living there didn’t need help with shelter — he’s staying with family and has a motor home, as well, but volunteers did give him some cleanser to help him salvage some of the items from his home.

Volunteers also feed and hydrated firefighters on the scene. Three local fire departments responded to the scene and ran tankers to supply water to an area without nearby hydrants.

Later that afternoon, other Red Cross volunteers responded to a house fire in Haines City, where they helped a family of four — three adults and a child — with temporary shelter, financial assistance for emergency food and clothing, and other Red Cross help, including some Mickey Mouse stuffed toys to comfort them.

Volunteers have already helped five families after home fires in the Mid-Florida Region since Thursday, including three in Polk County and one each in Hernando and Marion counties.

Nights are growing cooler in Florida, and as holidays are approaching. Home fires happen more often at this time of year for many reasons, including mistakes with alternative sources of heat, cooking mishaps, and simple accidents with decorations, lighters, or candles. We at the Red Cross want everyone to take precautions to prevent fires in their homes and communities.  Replace batteries in smoke detectors.  Be careful in the kitchen and with lit decorations.  Double-check any fireplace or space heater to make sure it’s safe to use before trying to warm your house.

Thanks for being careful, and for supporting your local Red Cross.

Red Cross helps six families in three days of house fires

This has already been a busy week for fires.

Volunteers in Hernando and Marion Counties helped families who lost their homes in three separate disasters on Thursday and Friday.

Then on Saturday, volunteers helped out three families, each with three children, who lost their homes in three separate fires that morning.

Florida is seeing cold weather again as we head into the holiday. Mishaps with alternative sources of heat, electric decorations, home cooking, or lighters and candles can ruin a holiday. Please be careful this holiday season. Use every precaution you can. You’ll find them listed online at www.midfloridaredcross.org.

Thanks for preventing fire, and for supporting your local American Red Cross.

Infant injured but alive after fire displaces family of 10

(Lakeland) Dec. 9, 2009 — A one-month-old infant suffered burns when a fire broke out in his home on Wednesday, but he and his six siblings, parents and grandmother all escaped the fire that took their home.

The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in their home on Weber Street. The child’s father, Brandon Lovelace hasn’t yet felt the full impact of the fire. He couldn’t believe it at first when it started.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening to my family,” he said.

However, American Red Cross volunteers arrived soon after that. Lovelace and his family will stay with relatives, but accepted Red Cross assistance to provide food and clothing, including shoes for three children, and other supplies. That included Mickey Mouse stuffed animal toys to comfort them.

Lovelace will have to start over, but he’s just thankful all of his kids are OK.

“The fire took material things,” he said. “I still have my family.”

Please take precautions to prevent fires in your homes and communities. Replace batteries in smoke detectors, please support your local Red Cross, and learn to prevent fire by calling your local American Red Cross chapter or looking up fire prevention information on the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region web site – www.midfloridaredcross.org.