You may have heard of the Red Cross, an international organization which cares for the people in need. In the United States, if it were not for the passion(热情) of a young woman named Clara Barton, the American Red Cross may have never been formed! Clara passed away on April 12, 1912.
She was born on December 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts. When Clara was young, she was so shy that she was unable to make friends. Her parents sent her to a boarding school, hoping it would make her more comfortable with her classmates. Unluckily, it had the opposite effect. After only one term, she had to be brought home. One day when she was 11 years old, her elder brother was badly injured. Clara took care of him the whole time during his illness. Through this experience she learned something valuable and how to look after patients. She found out that she came alive when she cared for others.
Soon, Clara began taking care of injured animals. Neighbors began bringing their pets to her. And, almost always，she made them better. When she was older, she became a nurse in the American Civil War and helped save hundreds of soldiers.
After the Civil War, Clara traveled to Europe to rest. But that did not last long. Soon she was caring for soldiers in battle once again! But this time, she learned about an organization called the Red Cross who worked alongside her on the battlefield. It aimed to help those who needed medical care most.
She thought the Red Cross was badly needed in America. Over several years, she asked four different presidents to bring it to America. They all said no. But then, thanks to her persistence(坚持), one of the presidents finally changed his mind! And from then on, the American Red Cross was born.
