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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio and Dragons Present An Anthem Home Run for Life

May 24, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio and the Dayton Dragons will host 5-year-old Charlotte Caraway during the unique Anthem Home Run for Life program on Wednesday, May 29, at 7:00 p.m., when the Dayton Dragons take on the Lansing Lugnuts at Fifth Third Field.

The Anthem Home Run for Life program provides children in the Dayton region who are battling serious medical conditions with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each honoree gets to take a lap around the bases at Fifth Third Field during a sold-out Dragons home game while the crowd cheers them on.

Charlotte's Story

In March of 2014, Charlotte Caraway was born a seemingly healthy baby. Mom and Dad, Stephanie and Matt, brought baby Charlotte home to be met with three very excited older sisters. It was at her 15-month check-up that doctors saw that Charlotte was losing weight and her abdomen became distended and hard. Because of that and a few other symptoms, doctors recommended her to go through imaging. The results came back, and the Caraway family was transferred directly to the ER.

It was in the ER when Stephanie and Matt learned about the tumors on Charlotte's kidneys. Coincidentally, a member from the National Wilms Tumor Board was at the hospital that night and knew exactly what doctors were looking at. In June of 2015, Charlotte was diagnosed with Wilms tumor and scheduled to start treatment a week later.

Wilms tumor is the most common type of childhood cancer that starts in the kidneys. While these tumors are most often occurring in just one kidney, Charlotte was bilateral, meaning both of her kidneys were affected by this cancer. Through her chemotherapy treatment, the tumors began to shrink, and in October of 2015, Charlotte was able to go through surgery to remove the tumors and parts of her kidney.

For nine months, Charlotte had no evidence of disease. That was until November of 2016, when doctors had found a relapse in the cancer cells and spots forming on her kidneys again. This kickstarted a vicious 12-month cycle of chemotherapy, but as Thanksgiving of 2017 approached, scans were cancer free. Knowing life is unpredictable, Charlotte says, "Each time I go to the doctor's office, I am nervous that they will find cancer again. But I try to stay strong for my parents and my sisters."

Today, Charlotte is a fierce 5-year-old and a preschooler at Memorial Presbyterian. Charlotte loves being active outdoors and cannot wait to spend time with mom this summer planting flowers.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Dayton Dragons applaud all those who have been instrumental in Charlotte's life, including her parents Stephanie and Matt, siblings Elizabeth, Catherine and Caroline, Dr. Wright, and her entire medical team. Please join us in cheering on Charlotte as she completes her Home Run for Life at Fifth Third Field on May 29.

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