Redwood City, CA
1-800-348-8911

Kevin and 911 CARES,

My name is Roy Stanifer - I have attended a few of your courses and try to keep up to date on the 911 CARES issues since I learned of the program. I have been a Dispatcher for nearly 9 years with the Chandler Police Department and have been training for nearly 8 of those years.

It is with great sadness I write to you today regarding one of our Dispatchers, a former Trainee of mine, Corrine Sorenson. I am forwarding you the update that was just recently sent to our division. What isn't included is what has happened to her over the past year and a half or so.

While in training to be a Dispatcher, Corrine became ill with abdominal issues and had to undergo surgery to correct them.  Being a new employee, she used all of her sick time and was still many hours shy of being recovered.  The department issued a city wide request for employees to donate vacation time to cover her time off.

Once she was cleared for work she returned and started her training once again.  Only a short time later, she was ill once again with abdominal issues.  This time, it was a massive infection caused by surgical gauze being left inside her during the surgery.  Once again she was out for several weeks and the city employees donated more time.

Then, last year, she began having severe headaches.  Tests revealed that her spine was not strong enough to hold her brain in place causing it to slip downward pressing on the spinal cord itself.  This also caused fluid to build up on the top of her skull.  Surgery was required to push the brain back up into place and strengthen the base of her spine.  City employees stepped up again and many hours were donated.

Now, she has been advised that she has a cyst in the back of her head pushing her brain into her sinus cavity and right eye socket causing severe headaches and vision problems.  Corrine is now completely out of sick time and has no way to meet her financial responsibilities.

I was hoping that you would be willing to send this out to the 911 Cares network for me in hopes that the 911 community may be able to assist.

Corrine is a 26 year old single Mother.  Her child's name is Tori and she just turned 7 years old.  This has been very hard on Corrine and her entire family. Please keep Corrine and Tori  in your prayers.

Our center has been hit triple hard, we ask that you keep the following dispatchers in your prayers also: Can I also ad 2 more dispatchers to our post? They too are both out with serious medical issues and have been for the past several weeks.

Christine Thompson is one of our Emergency Call Takers and has been out on short-term disability due to extensive medical issues and is not expected to return till after the first of the year.  She has been an Emergency Call Taker for 3 years and has been an integral part of our Training Staff.

Vivian Padilla, a single mother of 2 boys, just recently had to take extensive leave for serious medical issues.  Vivian has been an Emergency Call Taker with our department for over 5 years and is a huge asset to our department.  Vivian is recovering nicely and should be returning to work sometime next month if she continues to do well. Please keep all 3 of our Dispatcher/Emergency Call Takers in your thoughts and prayers.

If anyone is interested in sending a get well card to Corrine, Christine, or Vivian - send them to the following address:

City of Chandler
Police Communications Mail Stop 804
P.O. Box 4008
Chandler, AZ 85244-4008
Att: Roy Stanifer #3872

I will collect and deliver all of the cards! 

If anyone would like to make a financial contribution - please make it out to "Team 905" and put "Corrine Sorenson" in the memo field.  Team 905 is the Officer/employee assistance group w/in our department.  They will then send Corrine a check so that she does not have to worry about getting to the bank and so on.

Thank you for your time and effort!!!

Sincerely,

Roy Stanifer #3872
Chandler Police Communications
Dispatcher & CTO
(480) 782-4130

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