It’s not every day we come across customers dealing with life-altering circumstances, but despite their situation, they continue to spread kindness. At our core, we believe these “good customers” deserve an “Act of Goodness,” and we’ve set out to do that.

Meet John and Caley Carroll

In June 2022, FirstBank customers John and Caley Carroll were in Mexico celebrating their oldest child’s high school graduation when suddenly their world was flipped upside down. They received the news that their 2-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that primarily affects children called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) and Diabetes Insipidus. Since then, their son Whitten Carroll has endured countless chemotherapy sessions at Children’s Hospital in Aurora, CO. Though they were actively treating the cancer, additional tumors continued to surface.

Because this form of cancer is rare, the family conducted extensive research for the best treatment facilities across the country and finally landed on a specialist in Texas. Anyone who has dealt with medical insurance knows how exhausting the process can be. Luckily, Carroll’s insurance provider approved the specialist, and they soon started Whitten’s medical treatment journey. Since February 2023, Whitten has endured 41 chemotherapy treatments.

As imagined, the constant traveling between Colorado and Texas took up most of Caley’s time, eventually leading to her stepping away from work. Though the Carroll’s have received overwhelming support from friends and family, the team at our 136th location wanted to help alleviate as much stress as possible.

After Caley spent some time chatting with Debbie Roshak, Personal Banking Lead Representative, she went about her day as anyone else would. But for Debbie, the family’s determination and love for their son immediately catapulted her to action. Once the rest of the FirstBank team was on board, they set out to “do good” by the Carroll’s, resulting in gifting roughly $1,700 in vouchers and financial support.

FirstBank supplied the Carroll’s funding and gift cards towards groceries, car maintenance, their travel and accommodations for Whitten’s hospital treatments in Texas, along with several items to help take their mind off of things and enjoy time as a family.

Caley has dedicated her time to helping Whitten navigate through this challenging time and continues to care for her husband and three children. She has helped spread awareness for this rare disease through #whittenstrong and hopes to find a cure someday.

To learn more about the Carroll’s or follow their journey, check out their Facebook page!

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