|
Special Delivery Message Connects Red Cross Family
Written by
Bonnie Gillespie
, Staff Writer, American Red Cross
Tuesday, September 02, 2003 — Delivering birth messages to expectant fathers serving overseas is a common part of Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES). Yet when little Molly Kathleen Rothman arrived in late July, the news of her birth provided a unique connection for a family dedicated to each other and to the work of the American Red Cross.
Less than 12 hours after Molly Rothman was born in Iowa, her father, Ben Rothman (left), received a Red Cross message sharing the news of her arrival at his station in Iraq.
|
In Mary Dooley's twelve years as Executive Director of the Iowa Rivers Chapter, she has recruited numerous volunteers, including her daughter Sarah and son-in-law Ben. From Disaster Action Team (DAT) to public relations work, the young couple became extremely involved in Red Cross work, even serving on the board of their all volunteer chapter in Independence, Iowa.
When Ben was activated for duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom, though, both knew that they would soon be relying on the Red Cross in a new way - they were expecting their second child and an AFES message would bring the news to Ben in Baghdad. With her husband oceans away, Sarah delivered a healthy baby girl on the afternoon of July 26, sending a joyful grandma Mary Dooley hurrying to the nearest phone.
"Right after the delivery, I made the call to Sarah and Ben's local chapter to send the message through of Molly's arrival," said Dooley. "The person who would normally take the call and pass the message was out of town, though, and the backup person who ended up taking the call was the other grandmother! She was able to send the message about her granddaughter to her son overseas."
Even at the Baghdad International Airport with his Army Engineering Unit, Ben had been utilizing his Red Cross background, often accompanying commanding officers to deliver messages to fellow soldiers and help explain Red Cross services.
"So when he saw a new message coming through he was preparing to go with his commander to deliver the message, but instead it was for him," said Dooley.
Realizing it was the middle of the night in Iowa, a "speechless" Ben Rothman waited several hours before calling his wife and new daughter, but the early morning ringing phone still caught Sarah by surprise.
Bright and early the morning after Molly's arrival, the phone in Sarah Rothman's hospital room was ringing, and on the other end was her husband Ben, calling from Baghdad.
|
"I wasn't expecting him to call so soon, but he called within 24 hours, at eight o'clock the next morning," she said. "I wasn't sure how quickly things were going to get through because I knew about the mass number of AFES messages going out. But from our calculations, he got the message in less than 12 hours."
Through a network of 961 local chapters, 109 military installation locations, call centers located across the U.S. and AFES staff deployed with troops in the Middle East, the Red Cross delivers thousands of messages each year between overseas service members and their families back home. And as a veteran Red Cross worker, Mary Dooley knew this record of reliability firsthand.
"It was such a comfort to know that Ben would get the message just as soon as humanly possible," she said. "Our family felt so interconnected through this, especially since we are such a Red Cross family."
As they wait for Ben's safe return, "hopefully before Molly's first birthday," Sarah has discovered that the bonds of family extend beyond biological connections, after being on the receiving end of Red Cross generosity.
"A lot of people [from the Red Cross chapter] have been coming by and helping out, so I've felt a strong sense of community support," she said. "Ben may not be here but I know I'm not alone."
The American Red Cross is not a government agency. We rely on the assistance of caring supporters like you to deliver our critical services. You can support U.S. military members and their families through the American Red Cross as we provide assistance and comfort. Your gift will support the nationally coordinated Red Cross services provided to military families across the country and to American service men and women located throughout the world. Please make a financial donation to Service to Armed Forces by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions may be sent to the American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces, P.O. Box 91820, Washington, DC 20090. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
Related Links:
Related Content:
|
