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Cindy's Service
Thursday, May 22, 2008 — Cindy Redmond, a volunteer at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, tells of a young wounded patient arriving from Ramstein, Germany. The young man was very worried about making a phone call to his parents who did not know he had been shot.
Once he was settled, Cindy obtained a phone card and helped the young man dial home from his wheelchair. When the wounded soldier told his mother the news, she would not be calmed. The young man asked Cindy Redmond to reassure his mother, and handed her the phone. After a reassuring conversation, the mother asked Cindy to say with her son until he fell asleep.
Following the call, Cindy asked if there was anything else she could do to help. "There is one thing I really missed in Iraq," answered the wounded man, "root beer." In the back of the refrigerator, tipped on its side, Cindy found one root beer soda. She opened the can and watched the soldier take a long sip. "Thank you, ma'am," he said, "that is sooooo good."
Later the wounded soldier selected an afghan from the cart of quilts donated by crafters, commented that the afghan reminded him of his grandma, rolled it up, put it under his head and fell asleep in the chair. Cindy kept an eye on him until he was helped to his room for the night. Before Cindy went home she went into his room; the new arrival was sound asleep in his bed.
Last fall Cindy's husband was in a convoy that came under attack in Iraq. Four of the troops with him were killed. Redmond fortunately came through unhurt. Friends say the incident has given Cindy even more resolve to work with injured troops.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.
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