By David Strom, American Red Cross

There aren't too many people who have become modern models for dolls produced by the American Girl company, let alone women who have had a long volunteer career with the American Red Cross. But Dorinda Nicholson – the real-life archetype behind the Nanea Mitchell doll – is very much a true story of grit, determination, and turning her survivor's story into one of exceptional service wherever she goes.

Nicholson is now retired but had a long career as a social worker and psychotherapist. She brought those talents to the ARC back in 2006 when she was tapped to help begin a series of mental health support programs, which later became part of the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF). These comprise several workshops for both active duty and retired military members and their families to help with improving emotional wellness, managing anger, working with their children and supporting healthier mind and body activities. She has been a facilitator in programs held at prisons, courthouses, Air Force bases and at various ARC deployments. These programs are now offered at numerous ARC chapters around the country based on content that she and others at our chapter first developed.

Military service is part of Nicholson's family: her dad was an Army soldier and eventually stationed in Hawaii, which is how she became a witness to the Pearl Harbor bombardment that began America's entry into World War II when she was six years old.  "For two hours my brother and I hid in the sugar cane fields while the base was being bombed," she said.

One of her deployments for the ARC was in the aftermath of the Joplin tornado. She was one of the first wave of volunteers and went door-to-door checking on local residents the first day after the town was destroyed. "Every client we met wanted to tell us their survival story, which really resonated with me," she said about the experience.

That first night was very memorable: the crew in Joplin had arrived ahead of any shelter and had to stay in a nearby casino hotel. They were treated to hot showers and heated towel racks in the bathrooms for one night, before "we had to spend the rest of our deployment sleeping on cots in a school basement and listening to 100 other snoring people. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both experiences!"

Her years of service have helped her become an effective public speaker and telling her story in a variety of video documentaries and books that recreated her personal journey. She is also a frequent speaker at various Pearl Harbor anniversary events and has been interviewed numerous times about her experiences both in national media and at schools across the country when they feature first-hand wartime narratives.

The American Girl company went on to create their doll's story, eventually donating $80,000 to ARC's SAF program and giving away more than a hundred dolls to military children. And while elements of Nicholson’s memories are seen throughout the fictionalized Nanea’s story, she is very much a real person who has brought both gravitas and greatness to her experiences, both during wartime and through many ARC deployments helping her clients survive and thrive from natural disasters.

The American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces Department is looking for more mental health professionals to join as a volunteer. If you are interested in more information, visit www.redcross.org