The Heart

When a falling tree turned 32-year-old Katie McClanahan’s move into her dream home in Little Rock, Arkansas, into a nearly-fatal nightmare, everything that saved her wasn’t technically supposed to happen. Every hero of this story went against protocol for the greater good. Because of that, Katie is alive today and doing everything she can to pay back what was given to her — lots and lots of blood.

It’s a story about what we owe each other when strangers decide to care.

The Journey

On April 5, 2025, Katie hoped to have a quiet day unpacking boxes while her husband, Alan, and their two kids, George and Claire, were out of the house. But the chores were cut short by the most unlikely of freak accidents — a tree falling over into the home. 

Suddenly, she was pinned under the tree and a collapsed roof in the darkness — her torso crushed and no phone to call for help. 

Katie couldn’t believe it — this is how her life was going to end. Even as she screamed for help, she quietly “surrendered” and asked God to let her “into his kingdom and to watch over George and Claire.”

The Turning Point

But what Katie didn’t know was that help was already in motion. Her neighbor, Kevin, heard her screams and immediately called 911, and her other neighbor’s dog, Rosie, started to bark incessantly, which triggered the neighbor to look and make another 911 call. And another neighbor, a cardiology fellow, called the local hospital asking who the trauma surgeon on call was. And when that surgeon, Dr. Ben Davis, got the call, he and the nurse on duty, Carrie, rushed to the scene themselves with blood in tow.

And the list of against-the-norm choices kept piling up. The first responders decided that lifting the tree was too dangerous and instead used expired but still functioning equipment to lift Katie and free one of her arms. That allowed Dr. Davis, Carrie, and firefighter William McCuller to administer four units of blood on-site… which rarely ever happens outside of a war zone.

When Katie did finally arrive at the hospital, she had no pulse or vitals… but that didn’t stop the trauma team from getting to work.

The Takeaway

Katie ultimately underwent 13 surgeries, over 100 X-rays, and months of recovery… but she’s already back up on her feet with the help of leg braces, her steadfast family, a care team that has since become family, and her unwavering faith in God. In fact, her faith was so strong that it strengthened the faith of those around her — a testimony to her resilience.

But looking at the practical nuts and bolts of why she’s still here, Katie boils it down to one simple thing: blood. Katie told me, “Blood saved me. Now I’m making it my mission.” Today, Katie spearheads blood drives and advocates for legislative changes to emergency blood policy — such as allowing trauma victims to receive blood transfusions on-site. After one talk at a local high school, 87 boys signed up to donate blood.

It goes to show that survival has a way of morphing into responsibility. As Katie puts it, “Saving me was their career high. And for me? It was the beginning of something greater.” 

It’s a transfusion of good.