Rolling up a sleeve for Pam: Daughters carry on mother's blood drive legacy after her tragic passing

By Emma Fermo, Red Cross writer

Pam Sigalos

At Grace Lutheran Church in Nashua, New Hampshire, an annual blood drive is more than a community event; it is a lasting tribute to faith, service and the power of giving back.

The Pam Sigalos Memorial Blood Drive began as an idea rooted in compassion. Pam Sigalos, a dedicated member of Grace Lutheran and chair of its Board of Human Care, worked to establish an American Red Cross blood drive at the church in early February 2018. Inspired by her faith and her family’s firsthand experiences with medical emergencies requiring blood transfusions, Pam understood how vital a ready blood supply can be.

The week the first drive was scheduled, Pam was involved in a fatal car accident while on her way to teach a Bible study class at the church.

“And so, she never saw the drive come to fruition,” her daughter Karen McLaughlin shares.

Even after the loss of such a prominent member of their community, the congregation moved forward and held the drive. 

“Grace Lutheran held it that first year,” Karen says. “And every year since, it has been held in her memory.”

Karen and Dori with dad John Sigalos

Today, Pam’s daughters, Karen and Dori Demaio, continue the tradition, ensuring the blood drive reflects the same compassion and commitment their mother embodied.

For their family, blood donation is deeply personal. Karen underwent open-heart surgery at just six years old, and blood was essential to her care. Years later, Dori’s son also faced a critical situation where blood was administered and placed on standby.

“My mom didn’t really donate until after we needed the blood when Karen was six,” Dori explains. That experience reshaped their family’s understanding of how lifesaving blood donations truly are.

Now working in health care, Dori says she has always felt called to care for others — a value rooted in both her faith and her upbringing.

“Being a donor and recognizing the demand is absolutely critical to those that need it,” she says. “It’s critical that blood be there during surgeries or whenever someone needs it.”

Many people, she notes, do not always think about where blood comes from. It depends entirely on volunteer donors who give a small amount of time to help someone they may never meet.

Dori encourages anyone unsure about donating to consider learning more.

“You’re not here for that long, donating,” she says. “And the short time that you can give could save a life. You never know if it could be you, a family member or a friend who needs it.”

Each February, as community members roll up their sleeves at Grace Lutheran Church, they honor Pam’s legacy in the most meaningful way: helping ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients in need.

Maryann Manzi, blood donor

Nancy Schreyer, longtime blood donor

Be a HERO and make your appointment today at RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).