Twenty-month-old Caroline Vance is quite the climber.

“She can climb anything in the world,” her mom Kendra said from their home in McCammon, Idaho.

And in her short lifetime, Caroline has had plenty of mountains to overcome. But she’s had an army of helpers along the way – including generous blood donors.

In 2021, Caroline was born with an anal-rectal malformation. Her medical team was closely monitoring that situation, when six months later, doctors at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake discovered she also had cancer. A tumor about the size of a pop can reached from her right kidney all the way onto her heart, and she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer that starts in the nerve cells. Doctors also discovered she had a tethered spinal cord, a disorder of the nervous system that limits movement.

Caroline would undergo a rigorous treatment regimen including six rounds of chemotherapy and required blood transfusions between each treatment.

“Her blood counts got so low that it increased the risk of bleeding,” Kendra said. “The next chemo isn’t an option without blood transfusions.”

To only complicate things further, Caroline’s port got severely infected during treatment, which required surgery and additional blood transfusions. In all, little Caroline would receive 10 units of lifesaving blood.

“Blood donation means the world to us,” Kendra said. “You don’t really realize how important it is until it’s your kid laying on that bed.”

Even Caroline’s entry into the world didn’t come without an uphill struggle. Her battle with cancer was not the family’s first.

While they were stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and trying to get pregnant with Caroline, Austin Vance was diagnosed with cancer himself and had to undergo several rounds of radiation. That made having Caroline much more difficult, and the family eventually turned to invitro fertilization.

“We definitely had a struggle getting her here,” Kendra said. “But she was definitely worth it.”

Austin is in remission now, and in July, shortly after her first birthday, Caroline got to ring the hospital bell, signaling she was done with treatment. Her tumor had shrunk by about 57 percent.

“Chemo saved her life but so did blood donation,” Kendra said. “Without it we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate Christmas with her or any of the things we do now.”

And now Kendra and Austin, who have been blood donors themselves, are working to pay it forward and thank those blood donors who gave Caroline a chance to climb. Kendra, an urgent care nurse, worked with the Hall Foundation to three Red Cross blood drives in Idaho that collected 75 unites of lifesaving blood. The Hall Foundation, which is based in Idaho Falls, supports local nonprofits and organizations through service activities, volunteering and donations. They have been dedicated Red Cross supporters.

“Our motto is Show Love, Give Blood,” the Hall Foundation team writes. “This year, we will be showing love by honoring Caroline.  We are so thankful to those who selflessly give blood to help others in their time of need.”

The Hall Foundation even created a heart-warming video sharing Caroline’s amazing story, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qDQpX2V6_8

While Caroline’s battle is far from over, she’s doing well right now and spreading joy wherever she goes.

“She’s always giving hugs and kisses to everyone she meets,” Kendra said. “If someone is having a bad day, she will absolutely blow them a kiss.”

And in her job as a nurse and while watching Caroline go through her treatment and recovery, Kendra sees other children who depend on lifesaving blood as well.

“We would always do anything for our children, but this wasn’t something we could do alone,” Kendra said. “We are so thankful for everyone who donated the blood that helped Caroline. They gave us the chance to hold her, to love her.”

DONATE LIFESAVING BLOOD

To find a blood drive near you and make an appointment to donate, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter your zip code or call 800-RED-CROSS. Donating blood takes less than an hour and can help save more than one life.