American Red Cross

In an effort to thank the Red Cross for having blood available for her mother, Peggy Lin organized a group of friends and family to donate blood and help boost local and regional inventories. Lin’s mother, Katy Gray, is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer and has received regular blood transfusions to help boost her red cell production.

Twenty individuals, including family, friends and even children of friends, met at their local American Red Cross Blood Donation Center on a recent Saturday morning to honor Katy by giving blood.

“We all love Katy,” said one longtime acquaintance. “And this is something we can do to support her. Giving blood is an easy thing to do.”

When asked how she pulled so many together on a Saturday morning, Lin said that when you have seven brothers and sisters, it’s not hard to do! Lin’s father, Bill Gray, also donated. Gray said he’d not donated for a couple years, but enjoyed returning to give blood for his wife. Two other donors echoed his feelings. At one point, every bed in the donation center was filled with someone giving blood in Katy’s honor.

By organizing the group, Lin not only helped replace the blood her mother may have used, but also helped the Red Cross extend lifesaving possibilities to patients in the larger community. What others had given to help Katy, her family and friends gave back to help other patients.