GREAT FALLS — Troy Ross was diagnosed with a rare immune disease and fighting for his life in a hospital bed at the Seattle Children’s Hospital six years ago.
Today, the Great Falls 8-year-old is back to being a kid again.
Troy was airlifted to the hospital in 2017 where over the course of a month, three-quarters of his blood supply had to be replaced.
Blood was available because of the generosity of blood donors.
For the last six years, the Ross family has helped coordinate Red Cross blood drives across Montana for other families going through similar struggles.
“The support we receive is so humbling and just truly a testimony of what good things can happen when good people focus on the positive and helping the next person in need.” Troy’s dad Wes Ross said.
Wes Ross, who has coached football at schools in Great Falls said their family has seen an outpouring of support from all corners of the state, especially from the Montana football community.
“The support we receive is so humbling and just truly a testimony of what good things can happen when good people focus on the positive and helping the next person in need.”
Troy will celebrate his ninth birthday in June and is looking forward to a summer of football camps and time with his family.
Wes Ross said they would have never made it to this point without lifesaving blood being available when Troy desperately needed it.
Blood Drive Schedule:
- June 20 Bozeman, 12:30-6 p.m., Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 221 E. Oak St.
- June 21 Helena, noon–6 p.m., Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 3150 N. Montana, Suite B
- June 21 Havre, noon-5 p.m., St. Jude Parish Center, 440 7th Ave.
- June 22 Missoula, noon-6 p.m., Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 2401 N. Reserve St., Suite 6
- June 22 Great Falls, noon-6:30 p.m., Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 1300 28th St. S.
- June 27 Dillon, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., University of Montana-Western Bulldog Athletic and Recreation Center, 710 S. Atlantic St.
- June 27 Kalispell, noon-6 p.m., Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 126 N. Meridian Road
Schedule an appointment to donate at one of these drives by visiting https://www.redcrossblood.org/ and entering the sponsor code TroyStrong or call 800-RED-CROSS.
