Watertown resident Kathy Preston knows what it’s like to be scared, really scared. She was terrified when her son’s kidneys failed. When he received a transplant, she was on pins and needles during his surgery. And with his weakened immune system, she has worried herself sick numerous times over the years whenever Michael had a cold or the flu. During a few hospitalizations, she has had to ask doctors whether this was the end. The answer had always been no, their outlook optimistic.

But October of 2009 was different. A simple cold landed Michael in the hospital, and his condition worsened. When he was med-flighted to Madison for treatment, Kathy was terrified.

“I did not think he was going to come home this time,” she confessed. “I can’t tell you how scary it was.”

Compounding her anxiety was the fear that her other children may not be able to see their brother one more time. Her son, Mark, works in Iraq for the United States Defense Department. Her daughter, Michele, an Army Reservist, is mobilized at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC.

With a shaking voice, Kathy asked the doctor if she should contact Michele and Mark about coming home to see their brother. His answer, a simple yes, brought a new level of urgency to an already stressful family situation.

With no quick way to reach Mark, the family realized they had to turn to the one organization that could expedite their request: the American Red Cross. Her daughter-in-law, Mark’s wife, made the first call at 9 p.m. while Kathy left a message on her daughter’s cell phone.

Within two hours, her son called from Iraq. Because the Red Cross had already verified the family’s emergency, Mark was able to make arrangements immediately to come home to see his brother.

Night passed. When the family still hadn’t heard from Michele, Kathy called the Red Cross at 7:51 a.m. the next morning. The caseworker’s demeanor left an impression on this upset mother.

“She was so nice,” she says. “Very, very nice.”

By 10 a.m., Michele had called home. Using the information from the Red Cross, Michele’s leave was expedited. Within 48 hours, the entire family was together.

“It was so nice to have my three kids home together,” Kathy says. “Even if it was for the last time.”

Thankfully, the family’s frantic calls to the Red Cross and bedside watch was not the end of their story. Miraculously, Michael made a full recovery.

A few months later, with her son home to celebrate the holidays, Kathy took a moment to write a letter of gratitude to the people that made a difference during their difficult time.

“The Red Cross united our family,” she wrote. “Thank you, thank you, thank you American Red Cross.”

The American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin relies on donations of time and money so they can provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies in Dodge, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties. To donate your time, please visit our Volunteer page. Financial donations can be made online through our secure contribution site.You can also support the Red Cross online by becoming a fan on our facebook page and following us on Twitter.