Virtual Blood Drive

Ross Crosby was a loving father to his two daughters, Amanda and Eileen. While they were growing up, he spent every other weekend with them and thought nothing of driving three hours on a weeknight to see a choir concert or a cross-country ski meet, only to turn right around and drive home. Later in life, he became a devoted grandfather to his grandchildren, Aubrey and Wesley. This time, the drive was four hours, and he would still make it to as many dance recitals and basketball games as possible. Ross loved nothing more than spending time with his family. To many, Ross was better known as Dr. Crosby—a world-renowned researcher and statistician. He served as Vice President for Research and Director of Biomedical Statistics at Sanford, and was previously a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of North Dakota. His published body of over 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts remains a cornerstone of the eating disorders research community. Ross was a highly sought-after presenter and speaker, known for his generosity with his time while mentoring countless scientists and statisticians. In 2017, the Eating Disorders Research Society honored Ross with an award recognizing his outstanding contributions and dedicated service at their annual meeting in Leipzig, Germany. Ross was a slayer of walleyes. He lived for many years outside of Pelican Rapids, MN, on Lake Lizzie, and then later on Leech Lake in Federal Dam, MN. He enjoyed being out on the lake, fishing, whether with friends or family, or on his own. Trips up to Canada, or to the boundary waters, were a highlight for him, and happened a few times a year. He could often be heard recounting fishing trips with 5-foot waves, pounding rain, or even snow, and the listener would expect the punchline about how horrible the trip was. Ross would end the story by saying what a great time he had. Not much got him down. In the fall of 2021, Ross was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, which is a rare blood cancer. During the first many months of having cancer, medications were able to manage his illness, and Ross continued right on doing the things he loved, taking his family on a vacation to Mexico, continuing his groundbreaking research on eating disorders, and spending plenty of time fishing. Unfortunately, his disease began to take a toll; his energy level dropped along with his hemoglobin counts, and he started to need blood transfusions. In fact, over the next two years of his treatment, he received 28 units of platelets and 68 units of red blood cells, for a total of 96 units of blood products. Without these transfusions, Ross would not have been able to survive and have these last years with his family and friends. In the summer of 2024, Ross had a bone marrow transplant as a last-ditch effort to treat the cancer. Unfortunately, he experienced Graft vs. Host Disease and did not recover. On October 11, 2024, Ross passed away. Today, his memory lives on in the research he published, the scientists and friends he mentored, and the family and friends he loved. Most importantly, the walleyes in heaven will never be safe again. Please help me meet my goal of "giving back" the 96 units of blood that Ross received during his treatment. This blood gave us more time with Ross, and I am eternally grateful to the donors that made that happen. Other families need the same life giving gift from us, and it isn't possible without donors like you. Thank you in advance!