Every Donation Counts

Two Celebrated Newborns Receive a Complimentary Photo Session

For the past four years, newborn photographer Kristy Black of Riley Cooper Photography has generously donated a complimentary photo session to Torrance Memorial’s firstborn New Year’s baby. This year, beautiful Baby Boy Sanchez was born to Guadalupe Sanchez on January 1, 2022, at 3:53 a.m. weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce and 20.5 inches of pure joy.

“Twosday” baby girl was born on February 22, 2022, at 2:22 p.m., 6 pounds, 11 ounces and 18 inches. Starla is the beautiful daughter of Torrance Memorial radiology employee Esperanza and Marlan Cooper.

Riley Cooper Photography, 310-561-4852, rileycooperphotography@yahoo.com

Young Philanthropist Donates to Pediatric Department

Inspired by the charitable giving she was observing aroundher, 8-year-old Addy Franklin decided to take action. The pandemicwouldn’t allow a traditional lemonade stand, so Addybuilt upon the slime kits she received for Christmas. Fromscratch in her kitchen, she made slime in a rainbow of colorsand sold it at a street stand in her Redondo Beach neighborhood.Adding the proceeds from also selling her prized dollhouse,Addy donated $100 to the pediatrics unit at TorranceMemorial. Later, Addy also donated another $130 earned fromslime sales at her school student marketplace event.

Blood Drive Donations with Heart

Torrance Memorial and the Torrance Fire Department showed acts of love on Valentine’s Day by donating blood as the nation faced critical blood shortages. John Kunesh, MD, Torrance Memorial pathologist and CLIA director, gave interviews to the press discussing the importance of lifesaving blood donations. Mayor Pat Furey of Torrance stopped by to donate blood along with our very own Foundation director of planned giving Sandy VandenBerge, and Captain Adam Brown and Chief Brian Hudson from the Torrance Fire Department. Donations increased by 25% and with the help of employees, donors and the communtiy the Torrance Memorial blood donation center collected an addtional 300 red cells.

Sandy VandenBerge

Wendy Pangindian, Captain Adam Brown, Torrance Mayor Pat Furey, Shannon Holzmiller, Chief Brian Hudson

A Torrance Fire Department captain, John Kunesh, MD, Torrance Mayor Pat Furey, director of laboratory services Ihab Abumuhor

Luminaries and Novas 2022 Supporting our Health Care Heroes

The Luminaries and Novas have been incredibly good to our health care workers throughout the pandemic. They have been donating baked goods for a year and a half, starting in September 2020. Their collective donations tallied up to impressive numbers: volunteering 4,920 hours and baking more than 42,000 items. WOW! They also made signs, greeting cards, Valentine’s candy bouquets, blankets and other gifts to help support Torrance Memorial workers. •

Novas Graduating senior class of 2022 L to R, back: Jami Galdones, Kellie Au, Riley Yang, Katie Keough, Lindsay Eisenman, Angelina Mendoza L to R, middle: Taryn Loui, Candace Baik, Kayla Jung, Dina Eltawil, Katelyn Won L to R, front: Matt Yang, Ko Tanoura, Jack Sedillos, Sean Mirikitani. Not Pictured: Ryan Hetchler, Kayla Kaplan, Aaron Lin, Adela Riggs