COVID-19 is now a staple in our lives and has impacted every aspect of how we relate to others (education, relationships, family, and our workplace).    

People and organization are trying to solve for this unprecedented time through new idea and strategies.  Organizations, like Baptist Hospital, reinvent their fundraising platform on how to receive donations and I'm part of that new avenue. 

Join me in supporting the Cancer Patient Support Program (CPSP) at Wake Forest Baptist Health. It’s an honor to help raise awareness, hope, and donations for our Cancer cause and to pay tribute to the doctors who saved my life.  

Whether you are a mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or child - cancer has touched our lives with tragedy, but also with hope.  My dad will match any donation you make (no gift is too small), who sits on the board and now here is my story…

At age 2, I was already a fiery little thing that bulldozed my way through life. I was the youngest of four and at age 2, I had a smirk on my face and a loud personality. However, Cancer decided to put a roadblock in my timeline and visited me with full gale force winds. I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoma Leukemia and my chances of survival was 1 out of every 8 cases.

In letter to friend, my mom wrote, "we have swapped play dates and school with doctor visits and hospital admissions." Not only was I sick, but my parents had three other children to raise and influence. It's truly remarkable that my brother and two sisters are such wonderful people.  Sometimes they were sidelined due to the urgency of my illness. Nevertheless, my siblings treated me like their younger sister, and not their "sick" little sister. They teased me; laughed with me; and cared for me when I needed it the most.

The doctors at Baptist Hospital always went the extra mile. To this day, I can still rattle off all their names that touched my life. Nurse Nancy, Dr. Chauvenet, and Dr. Patterson! This trifecta team of doctors held my family's hand every step of the way. 

In my life, I've had many people shape me into the person I am today and the Baptist Doctors are no different.

Nurse Nancy - taught me compassion - She treated me with kindness and grace. I had such a hard time being bald and she reminded me on a daily basis how beautiful was: with or without hair.  She taught me beauty resides on the inside, not on the outside. I've carried her perspective throughout my life. To truly see a person, you look into their heart and soul, not in their appearance.

Dr. Chauvenet - taught me responsibility. When I turned 16 and went to the children oncology unit for another check-up, Dr. Chauvenet proceeded told me bluntly: "Carrie - you can't go through all this treatment and then die in a car crash." I wear my seat belt every day and I have been in a couple of wrecks…so Thank you Dr. Chauvenet.

AND last but not least is Dr. Patterson. I learned Dr. Patterson passed away this year, and I know in my heart, that him and my mom are smiling down on us. Even after I got well, Dr. Patterson had his plate full with being a full time doctor.  He always took the time to write to me and my family letters to see how I was doing. I understand the sincerity of what this man embodied.  He was: a doctor, husband, and father. He personified hope for a better day and he was a walking example to keep enduring; stay focused; and celebrate the wins in times of tragedy! Love you Dr. Patterson PERIOD.

When I think of my team of doctors at Baptist Hospital, I think about film that was true story between a Reporter and Mr. Rogers. In the film, Mr. Rogers looks at the reporter in a crowded restaurant and gently states, "Let us take time for those who loved us into being." Mr. Rogers and the Reporter take a moment of silence and the whole restaurant hears Mr. Roger's words, so everyone pauses and the restaurant goes still. This moment touched me in a profound way. I immediately thought of my parents, but I also thought of my Doctors from Baptist Hospital.

So let's take time to honor our doctors and recognize the hardship they face day in and day out with this illness. Let us recognize their hope and strength of their daily message they carry to parents and patients. And last, but no least, let us always remember the doctors whose unconditional and unwavering love for their patients is the cornerstone to their treatments. Because without their love, I would not be here. So Mr. Roger had it the right - "Let us take time for the doctors who loved me into being, by helping me become a healthy child."

Thank you,

I go by CareBear, Pookie, and Carrie