|
From disasters emerge heartache, hope and humanity for a mother
Mary Miller and Marissa Mahoney, Special to RedCross.org
Wednesday, January 11, 2006 — The tragedy wrought by the Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck more than a dozen countries on Dec. 26, 2004, became a personal tragedy for Portland, Ore., native Christina Ankofska whose 36-year-old daughter, Angie Foust, was vacationing with her friend, Luke Scully, in Thailand when the tsunami destroyed the resort where they were staying.
By New Year’s Day, a little more than a year ago, when Ankofska still had not heard from her daughter, friends and family members feared the worst had happened. As days, weeks and months went by, Ankofska worked with the U.S. Department of State, providing information to help identify her daughter. She also registered Foust and Scully in the Red Cross Family Registry program for loved ones separated by international conflicts and disasters.
In early July, Ankofska was informed that Foust’s remains had been identified in Phuket, Thailand. With few resources to support a trip to get bring her daughter home, Ankofska looked for options. Tina Mahafey, Foust’s best friend, called the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter in Portland and was directed to local caseworkers working with the International Services division of the American Red Cross.
Within days, the Red Cross was able to coordinate and finance travel and accommodations for Ankofska and Mahafey, as well as make the necessary arrangements to bring Foust’s remains home.
“Traveling to Thailand was surreal, exhausting, heartbreaking and heartwarming,” Ankofska said.
“We were told that any personal items of the tsunami victims had been placed in their caskets,” Ankofska said. “Enclosed with Angie in a plastic bag was a tiny silver ring that she had always worn on her thumb.”
“Despite the power and destruction of the tsunami, this tiny ring survived,” she said. “I wear it on my finger, reminding me that my daughter will always be in my heart.”
When Ankofska returned from Thailand, she gave her local Red Cross chapter a photo of Foust, with incense from the Buddhist ceremony for her daughter and shells from the beach where she spent her last day. The offerings were a bittersweet reminder of the tragedy of the tsunami.
Ankofska told staff and volunteers she wanted to give back to a community that had been so supportive of her during her darkest days. In particular, she wanted to help those who were suffering as a result of a disaster.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and Ankofska realized that the time had come for her to give back. In the aftermath of the storm, hundreds of evacuees began to arrive in Portland. Ankofska spent time at a local shelter that was converted to a resource center for evacuees and met with many of Katrina’s survivors.
In November, Ankofska was busy getting ready for a houseful of guests for Thanksgiving when she received a call from the American Red Cross. They needed her in New Orleans to help with ongoing relief efforts. Within 24 hours, Ankofska said goodbye to family and friends and left for Louisiana.
She would be spending the first Thanksgiving and her daughter’s first birthday since her death without her family. On those special and reflective days, she found herself surrounded by Red Cross volunteers, emergency responders and survivors of one of the worst natural disasters in United States history.
“I was assigned to client services, so I had the opportunity to talk with hurricane survivors and offer them Red Cross assistance,” Ankofska said. “When I left, I felt there was still so much work to be done. The experience gave me so much respect for Red Cross volunteers and the mission of the organization.”
Ankofska believes that tragedy unfolds around us every day. But despite the loss, each event provides an opportunity to be there for others and offer the physical and emotional tools needed to recover.
“Being in Louisiana for Angie's birthday and for Thanksgiving somehow seemed very appropriate. The people I met in New Orleans were so thankful for their lives and for the assistance they received from the Red Cross and other relief organizations,” she said. “It was a blessing for me to spend time with them.”
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
Related Links:
Related Content:
|
