Caroline Bridges

Caroline Bridges was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in December, 2006, midway through her sophomore year at Boston University. She returned to her home in Chicago where she received intense chemotherapy treatments at the University of Chicago Medical Center for eight months. In September, 2007, Caroline was allowed to return to Boston University to continue classes and was transferred to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to finish her remaining year of treatment.

When she returned to Boston, Caroline shared her experiences with being both a college student and a cancer survivor with her fellow students and the Boston community. She was featured in a December 28, 2007, article in The Boston Globe; and she has since spoken with many different groups about survivorship and the difficulties inherent in being a young-adult, a college student and a cancer survivor.

Today, Caroline is in complete remission and only needs follow-up scans every six months for the next four years. She is taking care of herself, running and going to the gym five days a week.  She graduated cum laude from Boston University in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in journalism, with a concentration on photojournalism. After graduation, Caroline returned home to Chicago and is looking for a position that allows her to use her photography skills. In the meantime, she quickly found a job that offers health insurance. Way to go Caroline!

Read more about Caroline in her blog: 'Clearly, I am changed.'