A Banks-area teen is fighting for her life in a Portland hospital after a family softball game in Banks led to an infection in her leg.
Khloe Long, 14, was playing a softball game—a competitive one—with her family at the Banks High School softball fields the evening of Sunday, June 4 when she slid to avoid being tagged out, sustaining several cuts to her leg in the process.
Two days later, her mother, Brittni Bigsby—a recent nursing school graduate—called 911, recognizing Khloe’s lethargy and very low blood pressure as serious symptoms.
In a fundraiser on GoFundMe, the details were laid out by Nichole Fogarty, a friend of the family.
“Anyone who knows the Bigsby family knows their love for softball runs deep,” Fogarty wrote. “As they were playing Khloe went in for a slide (in shorts) to avoid the tag. Her leg was pretty beat up from the slide but anyone who know this girl knows the special grit she has for the game! Shorts or not Khloe isn’t going to get tagged out,” Fogarty added.
After Khloe’s mother called 911 on Tuesday, she was eventually transferred to Randall Children’s Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“Khloe has an infection in her leg that has turned into septic shock,” the GoFundMe narrative read.
An infectious disease doctor confirmed the cuts sustained during the game were to blame, Fogarty said.
“It’s just like, a fluke thing,” Fogarty said.
In an update made Thursday, Bisgby said her daughter was “better than where we were at yesterday.”
“Khloe is truly like everybody’s big sister,” Fogarty said in a phone call with the Banks Post. “She’s like, literally the nicest kid.”
Just six hours after the fundraiser was posted online, donations had already climbed past the $10,000 mark, more than halfway to the goal of $20,000 to help cover medical bills, missed work, and defray food and gas costs for the family.
Khloe plays softball competitively with the Beaverton-based Oregon Blaze Fastpitch softball program on the Oregon Blaze 16A-Boynay team.
Fogarty said that both the Banks community and the wider softball community has stepped up to support the Bigsby family.
“It’s really cool to see the softball community and the Banks community come and rally around her,” Fogarty said.
One vigil was held in Banks Wednesday night, and another prayer vigil is planned for the evening of Friday, June 9 at the Banks High School softball fields (located behind the Banks Middle School) starting at 7:30 p.m.
Khloe, a Buxton resident, is poised to graduate from 8th grade at the Banks Middle School. The school holds this year’s graduation ceremony Tuesday, June 13.
In addition to the GoFundMe fundraiser, another fundraiser through online shop Corralled Chaos Designs has been set up, with proceeds benefiting Khloe’s family.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
