“The stress and anguish (people) go through, especially right after a disaster, and the emotional toll it takes to recover or deal with the situation – it affects everyone,” says Angelo Leo. The Canadian Red Cross humanitarian from Vancouver has helped people impacted by disasters and emergencies as far away as Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. But this summer, he volunteered to help much closer to home. Leo is part of the Red Cross Safety and Well-being team and he went to Williams Lake to help people work through the trauma left behind by the massive wildfires that swept across much of British Columbia.
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When people think of hospitals, they think of doctors and nurses. They don’t always think of scientists in lab coats. But we are always there, hidden in the background, providing those doctors and nurses with critical patient information to guide their diagnosis and treatment decisions. Even in a field hospital in Bangladesh.
In everyday health emergencies, we might feel overwhelmed at first when we need to provide first aid during a heart attack. But being ready to act fast and potentially save a life is super important.
Earlier this year, Canadian Red Cross teams assisted refugee claimants throughout Canada. Restoring Family Links (RFL) services were provided at the border in Saint-Bernard de Lacolle, Quebec 24 hours a day to connect people with their families, wherever they may be.
When a blizzard left some Red Crossers stranded in Nunavut, they decided to use it as an opportunity instead and ended up offering a psychological first aid course in their hotel for their fellow stranded travellers and whoever was interested.
Inside the isolation tents at the Red Cross Red Crescent field hospital in Bangladesh, the air is still. Six kids fight measles, although at some points over the past weeks nearly all 20 beds have been filled at once. Little lungs work to fill as respiratory tract infections are the hallmark of this disease.
Recently, I had the chance to chat with four women aid workers, who have been on a combined 35 missions for the Red Cross. They talked about why they do this kind of work, what keeps them driven, and what it is like being a woman in the field.
Now that you are looking to find the perfect Christmas gifts for your loved ones, have you thought about visiting the Red Cross eShop?