Throughout February, WNED/WBFO is recognizing everyday citizens of Western New York who are doing amazing things in their communities. Our “Making a Difference” project emphasizes the importance of volunteerism and encourages others to lend a helping hand. Here is the story of a community champion who is “making a difference”.
“Here’s some information about my daughter’s foundation. She passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning, so just get familiar with it and know the dangers about it.”
Ken Hansen and his wife Kim were devastated by the loss of their daughter. Amanda past away in 2009 from carbon monoxide poisoning. Ken says Amanda had slept overnight at a friend’s house the night she died.
”About a week after Amanda passed away, I got a phone call from her principal and he wanted to tell me a story about one of the teachers there, whose daughter wanted to have a sleepover and she said not unless your father goes out and buys a CO detector. He went out and bought a CO detector, and three hours later they had two fire departments there with high ratings of CO poisoning.”
Ken says it was then that he realized he could keep the same tragedy from happening to someone else and honor his daughter’s memory. He set up the Amanda Hansen Foundation and began handing out free CO detectors and educating people about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“The point is talking to one family and helping one family is all it takes. So, it doesn’t matter to me what size the crowd is.”
Ken says he’ll travel just about anywhere he’s asked to talk about carbon monoxide poisoning, knowing that he might save a life is reason enough.
“Number one, take care of your equipment, get it checked…number two is just help us spread the word… I don’t want to read another story about a child dying. It’s just unacceptable.”
“Since Amanda’s passed away, it is amazing that nobody really knew anything much about carbon monoxide, and I know in the last five years we have made a difference.”
Ken worked with lawmakers to pass Amanda’s Law which requires every dwelling in the state to have a CO detector. Now Ken is looking to do even more.
“We decided to take our foundation one step further, and we had received a phone call from a lady that needed a CO detector.”
That phone call came from Candee, who actually needed more than a CO detector.
Candee had scheduled a tune-up on her furnace and found out the furnace had cracks that were leaking carbon monoxide into the house.
“Ken Hansen came out with carbon monoxide detectors,” said Candee, “and because I had also explained my situation to him… he was worried. He said after he left here that day, he was generally worried about us. I got a phone call from Ken, you know, asking what is going on, are you planning to get the furnace replaced?”
Working with a local heating company, Ken says he was able to replace Candee’s furnace and hopes to do several more furnace giveaways in the future.
“I do it for Amanda…. that’s the whole goal behind the foundation. It’s just my way of not letting go and I stick to it. I work it hard, and it’s hard. If I lose the foundation, that means I’ve got to say goodbye. I am not ready for that move.”
There’s no telling how many lives have been saved because of Ken’s determination and his ability to turn a personal tragedy into a mission to save others from the same fate.
“There’s just so many things out there that need help, that need support. I mean, it’s like down from your church to your local community center to small foundations like us, everybody needs help. It’s not about just helping me. It’s about helping yourself. You know, you feel better about yourself doing something for somebody. And, you know, you pass that little kindness around, it makes a better place.
Listen to WBFO throughout February for more stories of people who are Making a Difference in Western New York. Screen the Making a Difference TV documentary video and audio stories at wned.org. You can also nominate someone for next year’s production of “Making a Difference”. Visit wned.org/makingadifference to submit your nomination. The deadline is February 28th.