By Patricia Griffiths, Red Cross Volunteer

Katrina Long had been preparing to celebrate her 50^th birthday by trail-running a 50K; instead, she ended up in the hospital, gasping for air.

In early June, 2025, the Eagle Point, Oregon resident began a routine 20-mile run and nearly collapsed after two miles. An emergency hospital visit vectored her to a doctor, who diagnosed her with a sudden, severe onset of hemolytic anemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than they are replaced, draining her of oxygen and energy. Her doctor prescribed a blood transfusion for treatment. But, there was a catch.

Before transfusions can occur, a patient’s blood must be typed. Long has a rare type, A negative. After learning this, she was struck by the significance and irony of this fact.

The significance was that, after running the blood tests, the medical center required a transfusion to occur with 72 hours. But, there was no A negative available. Long was surprised to learn that units of all blood types aren’t as readily available and locally stocked as grocery store products are. In fact, blood is in short supply.

Ironically, she realized that she had no idea how the blood supply chain works, even though she works for the Red Cross. This is because she works in disaster relief services, which is a different line of service within the Red Cross than blood service. This realization became the seed for an epiphany later on.

Meanwhile, she was short of air and weakening. She was notified just before the end of the 72-hour window that a box of A negative blood had been flown to Eagle Point for her. At this point, she was too weak to walk unassisted across the medical center parking lot to the transfusion site. Once she was inside, she saw the life-saving blood being transported on her behalf, in a box with the Red Cross logo.

“I cried when I saw the Red Cross box.”

The result was quick; during the transfusion she recovered rapidly. This and a second transfusion led her to an epiphany while she was talking with her daughter. She realized that she would not be able to trail-run a 50K on her birthday, but still wanted to commemorate that milestone with a meaningful event. Together, they decided they could address the shortage of blood, especially in rare blood types, by holding a birthday blood drive!

Her daughter, Makiah Lee, organized the drive to be held in Eagle Point on August 8, 2025. She distributed flyers to her workplace. Long, who works with multiple nonprofits in Jackson County, distributed flyers through her work associates and Red Cross partners. To sweeten the experience for blood donors, Lee is providing tiramisu cupcakes to all donors in addition to birthday gift bags to honor her mother.

As for Katrina Long, she regrets not having donated blood when she could have, as blood recipients are disqualified as donors. However, she is delighted with the prospect of helping the community by bolstering the blood supply.

Plus, she has one more belated birthday event coming up. Thanks to her blood transfusions, her doctor has cleared her to run her 50K in December. So, she will have a birthday blood drive, trail-run, and eat (cup)cake, too!

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If you would like to donate blood on Friday August 8, 2025 at the Eagle Point Grange and celebrate Katrina Long’s birthday with tiramisu cupcakes, go to the QR code on the flyer to register.

If you would like to donate blood at another time and place, register at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive