Stationed in Iraq with the U.S. Army, Michael LeVasseur reminded his mother, Kim, time and again that he was “invincible”. He could have done anything, she thought proudly, testing at the top three percent of recruits. He chose tanks and often wondered how this experience compared to his father’s time spent in Vietnam. Michael’s military tenure created a kinship that transcended the four decade gap and he yearned to be closer to his Dad.
Unfortunately, it was not two weeks later that Kim received grim news from her daughter, Melissa. “Dad’s in the hospital and we’re not sure what to expect. The prognosis is not good.”
Kim was stunned and thought immediately of her son. She was in Washington State, her ex-husband lived in Minnesota and her son was a world away. How much time did they have? And how could she get word to Michael?
“This is exactly what our United Way-funded Armed Forces Emergency Services program does,” explained Bev Walker, Snohomish County Red Cross program coordinator. “We have been connecting military members like Michael with their families since the Civil War. Generous local donations enable the Snohomish County chapter to be available anytime – day or night – to help families prepare and respond.”
Kim had heard of the service before. She dialed the number in haste and, less than eight hours later, Michael was airborne for Minnesota.
Kim remembers meeting him at the plane, stopping him with a hug and slowly steering him to sit down. It was too late, and despite Michael’s best efforts to reach him, his father was already gone.
“It just happened too fast, particularly for Michael, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do,” Kim said, “but Red Cross did wonderfully to get him there so soon. I couldn’t talk more highly of their staff.”