The Mid Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross hosted its 103rd annual meeting on June 28, during which it elected a new board of directors and saluted three “outstanding Red Cross heroes.”

The Red Cross honored Dr. Jorge Rios with a Life-Saving Award for his immediate actions regarding the screening of a blood donation that saved the life of a longtime donor, according to a press release about the meeting. Rios is the medical director for the American Red Cross Blood Services in Dedham, Mass.

Madelyn “Lynn” Longley, a 30-year Red Cross blood donor, gave her usual pint at a Bath Iron Works blood drive in June 2011. When her blood was evaluated at the Red Cross laboratory to determine if she could be a potential platelet donor, Rios found something else, something of a more serious concern.

Rios called Longley at work to tell her that he had identified a condition indicative of a fast-growing, life-threatening cancer called chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a cancer of the white blood cells.

“Dr. Rios was calm, firm and adamant when he delivered the news,” Longley said in a release about the annual meeting. “He was so precise in what I needed to do and say to my doctor. He even gave me his cellphone number if (my doctor) had any questions.”

Rios advised Longley to get confirmation the same day and start treatment right away.

A bone marrow tap confirmed CML, and Longley began treatment the following Tuesday at the local cancer center. By Thursday, she called Rios to tell him that her counts were already down to 5,600 from 122,800 since she had given blood.

“In my eyes, Dr. Rios is one of my special angels,” said Longley. “Someone higher up was looking out for me to have Dr. Rios see if I were a candidate to give platelets, which started this whole process. I cannot thank the Red Cross and Dr. Rios enough. Life goes by so fast that we sometimes forget to thank the ones who do the jobs behind the scenes.”

Blood donors, the personnel who process the blood in Red Cross labs, and patients who receive that blood, rarely — if ever — get to meet each other. Mid Coast Chapter board member and blood volunteer Dee Miskill joined Longley to present Rios with his award.

This year, the Mid Coast Chapter also recognized Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer for his bravery, along with members of the Waldoboro Fire Department. Smeltzer risked his life to pull Deborah Miller from her burning home.

“His quick actions and careful assessment of the risk, along with several dangerous trips into the burning home, led directly to a positive outcome for all involved,” the release states.

Andrew Eckman, Mid Coast Chapter Disaster Services volunteer, saluted Smeltzer for his courageous actions and recognized him as a true Red Cross hero.

The Clara Barton Award, named in honor of the founder of the American Red Cross, is the highest award given to a volunteer by a Red Cross chapter and was presented by retiring board chairwoman Diane Hender to longtime volunteer Lucy Ingraham.

Ingraham was recognized for her dedicated volunteer service to the Mid Coast Chapter over several decades.

“Over her years of service, she has provided direct care to members of the military and their families, served as a shelter manager and continues to inspire others,” the release states. “In addition to her work in the Mid-coast region, Ingraham has provided leadership to the state, the New England region and the national Red Cross organization.”

The June 28 event also featured a short program highlighting the accomplishments of the Mid Coast Chapter during the past year.

For more information or to learn about how you can become a Red Cross volunteer, call 729-6779 or visit www.maineredcross.org.