Meet Critical Care Comic's
Las Vegas resident since 2008
Joined Critical Care Comics in 2018
Favorite CCC Mission: As a pediatric cancer survivor, Richard is passionate about the CCC Cancer Hero Scholarship. He’s dedicated to helping every low-income cancer survivor reach their education goals.
About Richard: At age 12, Richard was dying from an unknown illness until a brilliant doctor diagnosed him with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and began aggressive chemotherapy treatment. The next two years of treatment were difficult for Richard and his low-income family, yet he found frequent joy in comic books and video games to keep his mind off the pain and nausea that came with bi-weekly chemo. After surviving childhood cancer, he pursued his passion for making movies and received a B.A. in Film & Electronic Media from Cal State Long Beach in 2005. In 2018, Richard was fortunate to meet Critical Care Comics at a convention and it was love at first sight. After joining, he immediately brought with him a passion for live events, quickly becoming a Volunteer Event Manager and soon after that, Vice President. Today, Richard is President of the organization, as well as managing a career in live event production sales, and is proud to have created the annual Heroes & Villains Ball and Cancer Hero Scholarship. While he may not read as many comics as he used to, he enjoys seeing the joy comic books bring to every child they visit.
Las Vegas resident since 1992
Joined Critical Care Comics in 2014
Favorite CCC Mission: The Hospital Visits. As CCC’s longest-serving member, Michael has seen the exponential growth the non-profit has experienced in nearly a decade, however the original core mission – providing kids in hospitals an escape… if only for 28 pages (the length of an average comic book) – will always be the main focus for him.
About Michael: Michael was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV – a rare origin story in such a transient town. His parents were from humble beginnings, but they quickly instilled the values of education and helping others. A value he took to heart becoming a teacher after receiving his B.A. in Secondary Education from UNLV, and continuing on to receive his M.A. in Political Science as well as a M.S. from Walden in Education. The values Michael’s parents instilled in him quickly drew him to Spider-Man comics and the motto “with great power comes great responsibility.” As Michael got older, he saw more and more parallels to Peter Parker, and he decided to bring the character to life one Halloween in college. This choice, like a radioactive spider bite, led to a chance encounter with Critical Care Comics at the Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, and his life was forever changed. He joined simply to bring his favorite character to life for kids in hospitals, and he eventually moved up the ranks – first as Director of Hospital Relations, and then as Vice President of the organization. Michael is the longest-serving volunteer in the organization, and he has seen it through many eras of growth and change. He’s proud to see it become such a staple in the Las Vegas community and he’s even prouder to lead something that helps make his hometown a better place – if only for 28 pages at a time.
Las Vegas resident since 2017
Joined Critical Care Comics in 2018
Favorite CCC Mission: Holiday season gifting visits
About Katrina: Since 2018, Katrina has been serving Critical Care Comics as a volunteer, suiting up as Black Widow and visiting children in hospitals to bring joy to those who need it most. In 2020, Katrina joined the board of directors and now runs the Human Resources department.
In 2017, Katrina began calling Vegas home. With a background in Phlebotomy and a focus on starting her family she was seeking a way to give back to her community. Being a mother of two boys herself, one of which has been the recipient of a CCC visit, she knows the impact the mission can have on a family during a tough hospital stay. Katrina enjoys connecting with both families and community partners in and out of costume. She is incredibly proud of the number of female heroes that have been added to the ranks since she first joined.
Las Vegas resident since 2001
Joined Critical Care Comics in 2016
Favorite CCC Mission: Bringing joy to kids and adults
About Minh: Since he could remember, Minh has always wanted to be a superhero. He had dreams of being Batman, a Power Ranger, or even a Jedi. Instead, he became the “Merc with a Mouth”, Deadpool. So, how did a character like Deadpool end up in a children’s charity? A young girl had requested Deadpool for a special visit after a major surgery. Critical Care Comics had contacted Minh, and it also served as an audition to join the organization. After two hours in the hospital room, he was a full fledged volunteer. Since then, Minh was the first recipient of the Cosplay Volunteer of the Year award (now Hero of the Year), and has four characters he can use to visit kids. Today, he is the most recent member of CCC’s Board of Directors serving as the head of Recruitment and Retention when he isn’t working on his career as a fire alarm technician. Whether he’s Deadpool, Hawkeye, Shang-Chi or Wong, Minh always brings “Maximum Effort” to ensure a smile is brought to whoever he meets.
Las Vegas resident since 1996
Joined Critical Care Comics in 2019
Favorite CCC Mission: Becoming a community partner. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and Jaycie’s favorite thing about Critical Care Comics is being able to be part of that village. Whether we’re there to help families of kids who are sick, families who are struggling financially, or the families who just want their kids to meet their favorite superheroes, one of the best things about Critical Care Comics is being part of the village for so many kids.
About Jaycie: Jaycie grew up in Las Vegas, bouncing around all parts of the city and never staying in one place for very long. While she always focused on school, she grew up always like the awkward nerd trying to find her place to fit in. As she got older, she saw a passion in education and using education to help kids better their lives. Jaycie dedicated herself to this passion receiving her B.S. in Secondary Education from UNLV and is currently completing her M.A. with a focus on European History.
After graduating college, Jaycie began working as a teacher and became friends with Michael, who talked frequently about Critical Care Comics. At the same time, Jaycie also found another passion for nerdy culture and wanting to help people however she can. Michael asked her to join Critical Care Comics, and once Jaycie accepted, she fell in love with the mission and work helping the community ever since. As Supergirl, Jaycie strives to put a smile on kids faces however she can!
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