Red Cross board members help serve breakfast to families staying at Spokane’s Ronald McDonald House, bringing comfort and connection to those facing medical challenges.
By Jamie Myers, Northwest Region
A grandmother staying at Ronald McDonald House became emotional Friday morning as she shared that her 5-year-old grandson has needed three units of donated blood. She was enjoying breakfast served by American Red Cross volunteers and board members when she expressed how grateful she was to see the Red Cross there, knowing firsthand what donated blood can mean to a family.
Just across the hall, a Red Cross blood drive was underway. Among those donating was Red Cross board member Gail Heck-Sweeney. After years of being unable to give blood because of travel-related restrictions, Heck-Sweeney learned she was eligible again. “After many years of not being able to donate, I met the criteria, so I’ve been donating ever since,” she said.
It was a beautiful moment at Spokane’s Ronald McDonald House to watch two sides of the Red Cross mission come together: a family grateful for the gift of donated blood and 31 donors helping make that same gift possible for someone else.
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