MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Partners with Dragons to Present "Home Run for Life" Program

Published on June 13, 2016 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Dayton Dragons will welcome 13-year-old Caulin Booher during the unique "Home Run for Life" program on Wednesday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. when the Dayton Dragons take on the South Bend Cubs 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.

Caulin's Story

In February 2012, Caulin had a routine surgery scheduled to remove his tonsils and adenoids. The surgeon noticed that the adenoids were very large and sent them to a lab for follow-up testing. Within three days, tests revealed the presence of cancer in the tissue samples. Caulin had been diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

ALL is a cancer of the white blood cells, characterized by excess lymphoblasts. Malignant, immature white blood cells continuously multiply and are overproduced in the bone marrow. This form of cancer causes damage by crowding out normal cells in the bone marrow, and eventually spreads to other organs.

Treatment started immediately for Caulin, but within a few weeks it was evident he wasn't responding to the initial treatments. Caulin's parents were told they could continue the current treatment plan or try a bone marrow transplant. No one in the family was a close enough match, but there was a perfect match found in Germany.

After 42 days in isolation for the transplant, Caulin was able to come home. Unfortunately, after being home for just a month there was an alarming setback. Caulin's side effects from the transplant had caused a second cancer diagnosis of lymphoma. He had to undergo more chemotherapy and treatment to fight this new cancer.

Today, Caulin is 13 years old and feels great. His last round of chemotherapy was in March of 2013 and he's extremely grateful to be in remission. "This experience has taught me to be thankful for what you have and to not take anything for granted because it can be taken away quickly, "Caulin said. Caulin will be in eighth grade at Jacob Coy Middle School next school year. He enjoys math, science, playing soccer, video games and spending time with his friends.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Dayton Dragons applaud all those who have been instrumental in Caulin's life, including his parents Larry and Suzanne, his sister Madison, his specialist Dr. Dole and his entire medical team. Please join us in cheering on Caulin as he completes his Home Run for Life at Fifth Third Field on June 15.

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