Caroline Rodriguez was walking to meet her friend at the University of Tennessee when she passed a table of students signing people up for the Global Stem Cell and Marrow Registry. She stopped to talk to one of the Project Life Movement volunteers to learn what they were doing and decided she wanted to sign up. On the first day of her summer internship, Caroline got the call from Gift of Life that she was a match for a patient.
Caroline regularly donates blood with her sister for their cousin who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She also raises money for breast cancer research and treatment with her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. Caroline said that getting the call from Gift of Life felt “full circle” in her continuing efforts to help cancer patients. She knew that she would do anything she could to help the patient that she matched with.
The week leading up to her donation, Caroline was in Chicago with her family and began receiving her injections there. She said that she felt some back pain but was still able to celebrate her father’s birthday. She then flew to New York City, where she decided to make the donation so that her sister could attend with her. Once she got back from her donation, Caroline spent the week moving back to school, and said that the donation did not interfere with her ability to do so. In the midst of a very busy month, Caroline generously found the time to do everything that she could to help save the life of her patient.