Giving Tuesday Story: Making Rewarding Choices
Wanda
High school seniors have big decisions to make. Wanda, a young woman with thalassemia, had a REALLY big one to make!
As the co-president of her senior class, Wanda had so much on her plate already. “I had a lot of different responsibilities to help wrap up the end of the year, as well as all these activities planned for the senior class that I’ve been looking forward,” she says. “I was so involved within my high school community throughout all four years. I was building up all of these experiences for this great defining moment of being involved in everything and going to all of the incredible school events!”
But then Wanda learned about a clinical trial that might help her – and other people with thalassemia.
It would mean missing the last third of her senior year and making big, big changes – like dropping the higher level AP and honors courses that she worked so hard in. “And I was worried what the colleges I had applied to would think about that, too!”
It’s not the kind of decision a teenage girl should have to make. But Wanda made it, and she went for the clinical trial.
And it was a good decision.
“I’ve really learned to take on new risks as a result of this,” enthuses Wanda, who is now enrolled in college and taking on new experiences every day. She might have missed out on a lot, but she also gained a lot. And if that isn’t a life lesson, what is?
CAF helps makes experiences like this possible, by supporting and promoting research that advances knowledge about thalassemia and by giving patients the strength to make the hard choices.
Not every choice has to be hard. You can choose right now to support CAF as part of Giving Tuesday with the smallest or largest of gifts.
On behalf of Wanda and thalassemia patients across the country, thank you! Our work would not be possible without you.