About the Artist: Caroline, St. Jude Patient

Read about Caroline, the artist of our new I Love St. Jude T-shirt!

Caroline
15 years old
Louisiana
retinoblastoma

 It was just two weeks after they’d brought home their beautiful new baby girl when Caroline’s parents noticed a haze in her left eye. And with the absence of other symptoms, her parents thought their baby was perfectly healthy. “Until we started to take pictures of her,” said her dad. That was when they noticed, where many people have two red eyes in a photograph from the flash, Caroline’s right eye was red, but her left eye was white.

 Caroline’s parents took her pediatrician, who could see a blockage when he looked into her eye. He suggested they seek the expertise of an ophthalmologist, who then referred them to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®. At St. Jude, doctors found 5-week-old Caroline suffered from retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye. Her treatment included five months of chemotherapy, before she was able to return home. 

 Now, almost 15 years later, Caroline is a busy teenager. She recently finished her freshman year of high school on the honor roll, and is part of a competitive dance team. Caroline was the captain of her junior varsity cheerleading squad, and is now on her high school’s award winning dance team.

 Caroline also visits St. Jude annually as part of the After Completion of Therapy Clinic, the goal of which is to help childhood cancer survivors stay healthy.  “Words cannot express our appreciation for St. Jude,” said Caroline’s dad. “The care we’ve received is priceless and something we value greatly. Caroline has gained so much through St. Jude.”