What an beautiful evening! After the mandatory one year wait, we were finally able to meet the incredible young woman who saved Nick's life! Her name is Caroline and she is absolutely our HERO! BeTheMatch set up the "meeting" during their national conference in Clearwater. The whole family was present as we entered the room and watched a heart-felt video where Nick talked about his experience and what the Donor means to him. Suddenly, the video cut to a message from Caroline, where she shares her experience as a stem cell Donor. The moment we saw her face and heard her voice, the tears started rolling. After the video, she was immediately introduced to Nick in person and just as you see in the photo, there simply are no words...
What do you say to a woman who, after joining the registry in college, received the call that she was a match and stepped up to give her blood stem cells so that Nick could live? My heavens, he's a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a son, a friend, a boss, a co-worker, a neighbor, and the most loving person I've ever known. We must have thanked Caroline a thousand times, but I admit that it still didn't seem adequate. I can only hope that every time she looks down at the heart-shaped charm on the bracelet we gave her, she can hear our trembling voices saying,
"We thank God for you."
(above) Nick, Caroline, and Dr Lia Perez (Moffitt Cancer Center) share a moment.
Nick and Caroline talk to the press and encourage all qualified potential
donors to join the Registry!
