Looking Back to Never Forget 9/11: Anita Foster

Our Chief Communications Officer for the American Red Cross, North Texas Region responded as part of the Red Cross relief team in the days following the September 11th attacks.

On the first anniversary of 9/11, she sat down with CW33 News to share her story. Today we reflect back with the understanding that a day causing unimaginable pain and suffering can now be a day dedicated to giving others service and compassion—a day dedicated to doing good.

We will always remember the sacrifices, the pain and the healing. We will always remember the reason we stand beside thousands of volunteers, each and every day during disasters, small or large, at home or across the country, for it is the same reason Anita Foster landed in NYC after the attacks—to hurt with those who need healing and provide hope for those who can see none.

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Drowning: A Silent Killer

About 3,500 Americans drown each year, averaging ten deaths per day. More than one in five fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. A Red Cross survey from 2009 revealed that almost half of those polled nearly drowned in their lifetime. One in four people know someone who has drowned.

How could ten people die every day by drowning? Anita Foster, chief communications officer at the American Red Cross-Dallas Area Chapter, says one reason is many of us have the wrong idea about what to expect when drowning is occurring. Listen to the interview on TheAnchorMom.com

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The Heart of One Child Offers Hope to a Nation

Liam and Lori Hyde

By Anita Foster, American Red Cross, Dallas, Texas

Earlier this week, I was on the phone with Lori Hyde, one of my best girlfriends who lives in Woodbridge, Virginia. We hadn’t spoken since the earthquake and tsunami hit in Japan. Working for the Red Cross, she expects that I’ll disappear for a while as we set up relief operations, fundraisers and the like. Since the morning of March 11 though, I had been anxious to talk to her. Married to a retired Marine, Lori and her husband were stationed in Japan for a number of years, and in fact, both of her boys were born there.

Chatting like girlfriends do, she was sharing with me the culture of the Japanese people and telling stories of how they practiced tsunami and earthquake drills. I briefed her on all of the drives we had already done, and the interesting ones we had coming up. Then she said, “You won’t believe what Liam said yesterday…”

And so the story begins. Lori and her 12-year-old son, Liam, were in the car driving into Washington D.C. for lunch when Liam asked her about the people in Japan. “We really don’t keep the evening news on in the house,” said Lori. “We have young boys so we try to monitor what they’re seeing, but it was obvious that Liam had done his homework because he knew all about the quake, the tsunami and even the nuclear plant.” Liam had taken the time to look behind the headlines to figure out what had happened in Japan, and for days, he internalized the information and tried to figure out how he could help. “He went to Yahoo and watched the videos of the tsunami coming in and inherently understood that people were going to suffer and need help,” said Lori. “So he asks me if he can send food or clothing or water to Japan. I explained that the best way to help was to give money. He sat silently for a minute, but I could see his wheels spinning and after a bit, he turned to me and said, ‘Well, I have money. I can give money.’ So I said sure honey. You can give half of your allowance. Liam looked at me and said, ‘No, I can give it all. They need it more than me right now.’

Together, Lori and Liam rounded up his $30 allowance, but not feeling like he was doing enough, he asked his Mom to withdraw a matching $30 from his savings account for a total gift of $60 to be sent through the American Red Cross to the Japanese Red Cross.

I called Liam today to thank him for his gift and as we were chatting, I asked him some questions about how he was feeling. “When I first saw the pictures of the devastation, it was shocking,” said Liam. “I felt really bad inside. I asked my Mom if I could collect and send some things over to Japan, but she said what they needed was money so I decided to give my money to them.” When one child opens his heart to help a nation heal, it can’t help but to open ours too. Through the heart and mind of this precious young boy, we are reminded that the world is one; and when one suffers, we all suffer. Liam said it best. “After I decided to give money, it made me feel great on the inside because I know that I’m helping one human being, or in this case, many human beings.”

I asked Liam what he would do if this kind of disaster happened here where we live and spoken like the young humanitarian he is, he said, “If this happened in the United States, I could set aside some time and go there to help. Maybe I could clear debris or something.”

Of course my girlfriend Lori is amazingly proud of her little boy who has so innocently reminded us what being a humanitarian is all about. “I’m so proud of him because he truly cares about other people,” said Lori. “That comes from inside of him. We just try to set a good example and then point him in the right direction so he knows how to help in the best way.”

For me, I’m proud to know a young person like Liam Hyde. A boy who would give up a video game or some other prized possession so that he could help people a world away is a hero in my mind. So we’re honored to take Liam’s $60 donation, put it together with yours and mine, and turn our compassion into action to help a nation of people on the other side of the world. Thank you, Liam Hyde. You’ve made a difference.

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Anita Foster From the Field: Twisters Leave Destruction Across Oklahoma

Over the years, I've seen tornado damage more times than I can count. But I will say this. You never get used to seeing peoples lives literally blown apart.

We spent the day yesterday in an area called Choctaw. You could tell that the neighborhood was tight-knit right away, and that they were all in a state of shock.

One woman was in her driveway when we approached. Her husband, an active duty Air Force member home on leave, was in the hospital recovering from his injuries. She told how he had survived several tours of duty in Iraq, but got injured in his own home due to a tornado.

Another woman, Robyn, walked us through the remains of her home. Imagine one of those set pieces used in movies where the doors swing open but there's nothing behind them. That's what the front of her home looked like. There was a front door, but when you opened it, you were met with a 10 foot pile of 2x4s and massive trees. She has no walls, no ceiling, nothing. She and her husband survived in a tiny linen closet that could barely fit a child. It was miraculous and horrifying at the same time. That tiny closet was the only room of the entire house completely in tact.

The stories go on for days. People here in Oklahoma have been through a major trauma and the Red Cross is doing all we can to help. We've been out on the streets with feeding vehicles and damage assessment teams. We've distributed tons of work gloves, shovels, rakes and tarps and we've hugged a lot of these good people.

Today, we turn our focus to Disaster Mental Health counseling. The weather is expected to turn severe this afternoon so we'll be out this morning making sure everyone is aware of the weather threat and we'll be handing out materials that will let the victims know how they will react today when the skies open up. It's going to be a tough day all right.

As always, it is a privilege to serve through the American Red Cross. I have met wonderful families and terrific Red Cross volunteers here in Oklahoma. And I'm always comforted to know that if our community is affected by a terrible storm like the one they endured, these same folks will rush to Texas to help us out. In my opinion, that is what humanity is all about.

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While Deployed: Anita Foster in Oklahoma

Here are a few pictures taken by Anita Foster while assisting with the relief efforts in Oklahoma.

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Tornadoes in Oklahoma

The National Weather Service estimates that 10 tornadoes touched down last night in Oklahoma. Baseball-sized hail was reported in some places. Several people lost their homes and many are currently without power.

Oklahoma chapters of the American Red Cross have deployed Disaster Action Team (DAT) members across areas of south central Oklahoma to begin assessing the extent of the damage.

The American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma has opened four shelters and has damage assessment teams meeting with emergency managers this morning to determine which areas have been impacted.

Anita Foster, Dallas Area Chapter public information officer, headed out to Oklahoma City early this morning and will keep us posted.

Red Cross workers in Dallas-Fort Worth ready to help Oklahoma tornado victims

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