First of all, I want to thank everyone for taking a moment to read about the journey that Caroline Baker has been on over the last year and a half.
In July/August of 2014, Caroline was diagnosed with a disease called Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), an inital form of leukemia, which required her to need a bone marrow and stem cell transplant. After scouring the data bases, her doctors found a perfect match.
On March 27, 2015, Caroline had the transplant at Emory University in Atlanta; she and her husband, Steve, stayed in Atlanta until August. They were fortunate to gain housing at the Winn-Dixie Hope Lodge (a facility run by the American Cancer Society, that offers free lodging for cancer patients and their caregivers). In August, Caroline was deemed stable enough to come home to Aiken.
However, she still had a long journey ahead of her, with trips back to Atlanta for checkups with her doctors there, and routine doctor appointments in Aiken and Augusta.
Even though she was getting the best medical care, Caroline never fully recovered, and has had to be hospitalized several times through the months, and during one stay in October, she had to have a spinal tap. The results of that showed that Caroline had leukemia cells in her spinal fluid.
Her doctors did what they could to eliminate the leukemia cells, while trying desperately to preserve the bone marrow/stem cell transplant.
After a recheck, a few weeks later, her spinal fluid came back clean of the leukemia cells, much to the relief of everyone.
However, this Monday, November 30, 2015, Caroline had to be rushed via ambulance to the hospital. Once there, she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
During the blood work checks, it was discovered that the leukemia cells have returned, and that the bone marrow transplant seems to be failing.
She is currently unresponsive, and on a ventilator. She is heavily sedated, and is as comfortable as the doctors and nurses can make her.
There has been an overwhelming outpouring of friends and family asking if there is ANYTHING they can do to express their love and compassion for this family for what they're going through.
What Steve and Caroline need right now is, aside from prayers, help with some of the finacial burden assosciated with the ongoing costs. The cost of the doctor's appointments, multiple co-pays (for medications, doctors and hospitals), gas to go to all of these appointments, hotel stays for the trips to Atlanta, etc., add up so quickly it's stunning.
I know that many of you think, "I only have $10 to spare, and that can't make a difference..." However, if 100 people could give $10, that would make a massive difference.
Literally, every little bit helps.
Caroline is currently in the ICU, and we're going day to day with her, thankful for every extra day that we are blessed to have with her.
We all know that Steve and Caroline would never ask this for themselves, and if donations exceed the need, any excess funding will be donated to the American Cancer Society for the Winn-Dixie Hope Lodge (which has expenses running $5,000 per day, and in constant need of donations - to learn more about this amazing facility, please check out this link: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/supportprogramsservices/hopelodge/atlanta/atlanta-about-our-facilities )
Truly, thank you for anything you can give.