The American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois will be honoring local nurse, Iván Escobar of Chicago, as its 2020 Nurse Hero.
On September 28, 2019, Iván, an emergency room nurse, was in a car with his teenage son going to pick up his mother for a family party when he heard shots fired. At the same time, Iván noticed a white SUV come to a sudden stop as a result of the shots. He decided to check on the car’s occupants and quickly found that the driver had been shot between the eyes. Iván's emergency response skills kicked in and he grabbed a teddy bear he found in the car to help stop the bleeding. Also, in the car, were the man’s wife and three-year-old daughter, three innocent bystanders on their way to a party. Iván continued to put pressure on the wound and stayed with the man and his family until paramedics arrived. The man was able to make a full recovery.
“Iván selfless actions to stop to help an innocent bystander caught in crossfire demonstrates the good that Everyday Extraordinary people like him do in our community. It’s a privilege to be able to tell Iván story as one of our 2020 hero award recipients,” said Celena Roldán, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois.
For the past 18 years, the Chicago & Northern Illinois Red Cross has honored each class of heroes at its Heroes Breakfast, typically attended by nearly 1,000 individuals. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Chicago & Northern Illinois Red Cross is unable to host this event in person but will honor this class of heroes via traditional and social media coverage beginning Tuesday, April 14.
Follow us @chicagoredcross on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to watch these heroes tell their stories of determination, resilience and kindness. You can also join the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois on LinkedIn as we tell the beautiful stories of these Everyday Extraordinary individuals. We invite you to help us share these amazing stories with your friends and family across social media.
Additional honorees were selected in 11 community service categories. Heroes were chosen by an independent committee of leaders in the business and civic community. For the complete list of 2020 Heroes, visit redcross.org/heroes.
Thank you to all our generous sponsors, including: Better, Edwardson Family Foundation, Kirkland & Ellis, CSX, KPMG, Walgreens and to our media sponsor CBS 2.
About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties, including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at redcross.org/il/chicago or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.