Torres to be named American Red Cross Community Hero of the Year
For his intervention during the dog attack on June 6 in Marysville, Linda resident Victor Torres was selected by a local chapter of the American Red Cross to be the 2017 Hero of the Year and will be honored later this month.
“We were looking for a person who happened into a location without any correlation to what was going on. Mr. Torres had no affiliation to the two people that needed assistance. He was at the right place at the right time,” said Kris Kirkpatrick, regional chief development officer for the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. “A lot of people would see two pit bulls attacking and think otherwise. He stepped in to do the right thing for total strangers and that’s an extremely heroic thing to do.”
Hero of the Year awards are given to individuals “whose actions demonstrate a passionate commitment to saving lives and/or promoting the health and well-being of others,” according to the organization’s website.
The award ceremony will take place on June 28 at the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico – 1075 E. 20th Street – from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Kirkpatrick said the event is open to the public, but there is limited space. For those interested in attending, she said to RSVP on the organization’s website (www.redcross.org/local/califor nia/gold-country/heroesawards).
There will only be one Hero of the Year award given out, but Kirkpatrick said American Red Cross will also present a variety of other awards during the ceremony. Other notable award recipients from the Yuba-Sutter area include the Sikh Temple in Yuba City and Colusa Casino Resort. Health does have the ability to address tendon or nerve damage issues, depending on the severity of the injury and how specialized the required care would be. He said if a patient is in need of treatment or care that the hospital cannot provide, the organization helps find a patient another facility that can.
Though Hinman was critical of the hospital, he said the Rideout doctor who treated him called him a few days after the attack.
“I appreciate the doctor that called me after to check in on me. He did his part to follow through,” he said.
Hinman will undergo another series of tests next week to see how extensive his nerve and tendon injuries are. Though the VA hospital told him they don’t have the capabilities to repair his tendons through microscopic surgery, Hinman said if they determine his arm can be salvaged, he might be able to receive treatment at another facility in Sacramento.
But for the seasonal firefighter and Army veteran, not knowing what the future holds is the worst part.
“I may have a hook for a hand the rest of my life, and that doesn’t look good for me because I need a few more years of work to be able to retire,” Hinman said. “I’m still in pain, but I may be in a world of hurt here soon if I cannot get back to work. It’s just a messed up deal.”