Caroline Rose is a three-time Stage IV cancer survivor. When she was initially diagnosed, she was in the best shape of her life. A pre-med student at USC, she had just run her 7th marathon and was training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro when she found out she had Stage IV, highly aggressive, incurable non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was 27 years old. 

“Since this cancer didn’t have a cure, I struggled with knowing how to live while waiting to possibly die,” Caroline recalls. And yet, she didn’t give up. In fact, Caroline didn’t defeat cancer once – she beat it three times!

Caroline Rose’s inspiring talk brings help and hope to anyone dealing with cancer or with any life challenge that feels like too much to bear. Through her amazing story, you’ll learn how she found the inner strength to never give up, to survive against all odds – and how you can tap that same power in yourself. 

After her second bout with cancer, Caroline and her husband had their daughter via IVF; then a miracle pregnancy gave them their son. 

Then one day, when her daughter was two and her son five weeks old, a look in the mirror shockingly revealed the raised lymph nodes that told Caroline all she needed to know: Her cancer was back for the third time. That, she says, is when her real battle began, only this time, she had two young children. The game had changed. “That third time, cancer picked the wrong opponent,” she says, “because it was NOT going to take me away from my children.” 

Caroline’s favorite part of speaking is when audience members approach her afterward and tell her that because of her story and her courage, they are given hope. “Because if we don’t have hope,” she asks, “what the hell is the point?”

Takeaway
Caroline Rose’s story is one of courage, hope and survival. Your audience will leave her heartfelt talk with courage to navigate through their struggle and hope that a rainbow awaits them on the other side.

Fast Facts

• Caroline has run 7 marathons, including Boston and New York.
• Her son made medical history as the second reported case of a natural pregnancy after a chemo/bone marrow transplant and has been written up in several medical journals!
• She “absolutely loves animals” and has been deeply involved in several dog rescue organizations.

What people are saying…
“Caroline Rose is a beautiful, strong, brave and courageous woman who inspires and captures her audience with her story.”
– Meg Symes, Executive Director, Cancer Support Community, Pasadena

• Conferences, Conventions, Trade Shows
• Expos, Fairs, Retreats
• Corporations, Non-Profits
• Parties, Events of all types
• CEOs, Executive Managers, HR Professionals
• Team Leaders, Sales Reps 
• Business & Civic Groups
• Women’s Groups, Career Women
• Baby Boomers, Millennials
• Seniors, Retirees
• Community Organizations
• Colleges, Universities, Schools, Youth Groups
• Military, Police, Firefighters, Paramedics
• Parents, Educators
• Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, Small Offices
• Therapists, Psychologists, Counselors and Coaches
• Churches, Synagogues, Religious Groups
• Christian Groups
• Entertainment Venues
• Health Care Groups, Hospitals, Medical Offices
• Health Workers, Healers, Caretakers, Cancer Survivors
• Nursing Programs, Medical Centers
• Health Spas, Fitness Center
• Rehab Centers, Recovery Support Groups

The Power of Hope

Hope is present in all situations. It may not look the way we want it to, but it’s still there and ours for the taking. This healing presentationI helps people find hope in the midst of the deepest despair. “True human connection is found in the darkest sorrows, and the brightest rainbows are revealed on the other side,” says Caroline, and her riveting personal journey proves her point. “Healing oneself is impossible if we don’t have hope,” she adds. Because without it, what the hell is the point?”

Surviving Cancer

Caroline Rose has survived against all the odds. She has lived the fear of the diagnosis and understands the emotional impact cancer has on the lives of both the patient and the caregiver. The audience will leave with specific tips and strategies for dealing with the impact of the diagnosis, tried and true methods to deal with the side-effects of the treatments, tips for caregivers, and suggestions for entering life after cancer. 

Life After Cancer

Beating cancer is only half the battle. Life after cancer can be just as scary and lonely as the treatment itself. Caroline can relate to this challenging state in a survivor’s life and offers encouragement and hope to those who need it the most.

Parenting through Difficult Times

We all want to be our best selves for our children, but at the same time, we have our personal struggles. How do we parent through the difficulties life brings our way? Caroline offers up wisdom and hard-earned life lessons for helping ourselves so that we can show up for others.

Finding True Human Connection in Struggle

Caroline Rose understands what it means to live in pain. She also knows what it means to rise above it, and she attributes her three-time cancer survival to the incredible healing power of community and love. Through the courageous telling of her story, Caroline invites her audience to consider their own struggles as an opportunity for connection and reveals how we, as a group, can better come together to lift each other up from the darkness and into the light.

Persevering through Life’s Challenges 

Are you overwhelmed by the challenges and obstacles you’re facing? Caroline Rose understands all too well how tempting it can be to give up when life’s burdens feel too heavy to carry. This three-time cancer survivor recounts one moment in particular when she told the nurse to take all the medications away because she was done and ready to leave this earth. And yet, somehow she found the inner strength to hang on through endless pain and suffering. Caroline’s brave retelling of her personal experience will motivate and inspire your audience as they relate to the sometimes seemingly impossible challenges we must face and overcome.

Meet Caroline Rose…

I was born in 1977 in Louisville, Kentucky. At an early age, I moved to San Antonio, Texas. My childhood was dedicated to competing on the national hunter-jumper circuit with my horse, Brimstone. After earning our state and national ranking, I decided to retire Brimstone and walk away from riding for a life outside of the horse show world.

After high school, I attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. During my four years at Vandy, I spent one summer studying art in Paris, another summer in New York City interning for an international public relations agency, and a semester in Florence, Italy, studying art and Italian culture.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in human and organizational development, I moved back to New York City and spent two years working with the executive producer at NBC Sports before moving to Los Angeles to attend a post-baccalaureate pre-med program at USC. But my lifelong dream of becoming a surgeon was brought to a sudden halt at age 27 when I was shockingly diagnosed with an incurable, highly aggressive, Stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Cancer changed my life in every way possible. A few months after being diagnosed, I accepted a marriage proposal from my longtime boyfriend and traded medical school for naps and warm blankets. Since this cancer didn’t have a cure, I struggled with knowing how to live while waiting to possibly die. 

I have miraculously survived three different battles with my cancer and have lived through two bone marrow transplants. My husband and I went through many IVF and fertility treatments. Babies have been born and babies have been lost. And through it all, the cancer was never far away.

My life today looks nothing like I ever thought it would. My days are a far cry from marathons and med school. Instead, my days are busy with carpools and walks with the dogs and hopefully some time for myself. Without cancer, I can honestly say this would not be my life but, thanks to cancer, my life is full and beautiful and messy and scary as hell. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Today I live in San Antonio, Texas, with my husband and two children. I am a highly requested speaker for City of Hope and travel all over the country to speak to groups as large as 3,000 people. Dog rescue work and raising money for cancer research continue to be two of my biggest passions.

What people are saying…

“Caroline Rose will draw you in with her heartfelt and candid sharing of her battle with cancer and the challenges that presented. Her story is one of truth, love, and hope that will live on in your heart long after she shares it with you and continue to inspire you to overcome your own challenges and have gratitude for the small acts of beauty in your own life.”
– Jennifer McMillan, MPA, Manager, Visitor Services & Speakers Bureau, City of Hope National Medical Center