REMEMBER THE AMBERED
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Dennis Kopolow (age 44)
By Daryl RuttmanDenny was my best friend since kindergarten. When we were children, he was always the first person to volunteer when the gang sought someone to do something mischievous (like put fake insects in the teacher’s drawers). Well, Denny was also willing to volunteer for noble things, as in the winter day in 2008 when he was at work at Rothman Prosthetics, and he spotted the pre-amber protocol the next building over. He noticed an entire wing of patients was going to be stuck in the amber. He valiantly entered the medical facility adjacent to his place of employment and helped the patients (many of them elderly and infirm) exit through the window, staying put until everyone was safely out. But it was too late for him to save himself, and he remains stuck in the quarantine...but alive in our hearts. He is remembered by his wife Donna, son Jeremy, and scores of friends and coworkers.
Remamber donations go to Mr. Kopolow’s family. -
Marco Sanchez
By Consuelo SanchezMy husband, Marco Ramirez, was my high school sweetheart and the love of my life. I instantly fell in love with him in high school. He was a senior, I was a freshman. He was handsome, kind, and impossibly smart. I made it my goal to marry him on that day. 9 years later, he proposed. Marco was the first person in his family to graduate from college, He became a teacher, author and community activist after graduating from Harvard. He was the best husband and friend I could ever have. Marco and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary at Fortini's restaurant when Quarantine Protocol took effect. I knew all the practice drills by heart, I recognized the sound of the sirens, I knew the smell of the smoke, but I still froze. Marco sprang into action. His only concern was to get me out of the building -- to get everyone out of the building before they were frozen forever in amber. Trying to stop him was futile, because that's just who he was. He and three other brave men didn't come out of the building alive that night. They declared him dead at 9:14 PM on October 21st, 2009. To say losing him was devastating doesn't begin to express it. But I'm not writing to tell you about my pain. What's at stake is much bigger than that. I'm writing to raise awareness about the dangers we're turning away from. I'm writing as a call to action. Nobody likes to think their family could be effected, but it's inevitable if we don't change our methods of containment. Today, on the anniversary of Marco's death, I hope you'll join me in supporting the dedicated scientists, researchers, and engineers who are searching for answers. Our children, and their children, deserve more than this. Please support the Amber Relief Fund to help us find a better way.
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Jenny Russillo (age 36)
By Sylvia RussilloJenny was ambered on May the third, 2010, along with her pet Alpaca, Dot. Jenny and Dot had been returning from an outing at the May Children’s Parade when anomalous activity led to a class 2 event. (The perpetrators of the event are believed to be members of the Base Brigade, and a Fringe Division investigation is ongoing.) Jenny was an alpaca breeder when she wasn’t busy homeschooling her three children. She was an animal lover, an avid reader, and she was my daughter.
Remamber donations go to the Families of the Ambered Fund. -
Bo Johnson
For Bo Johnson: My two sons, Jake and Finley, ask about their father every day. What was he like when he was young? Do you think he can see us? I tell them he was always a wonderful person and that no one would ever disagree. I don't let them see me cry and they won't ever know how angry I am that my beloved Bo was taken from us. If I could talk to him now, I would say: Bo, you are thought of every minute of the day and your family loves and adores you whether you are with us or not.- The Johnson Family