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Caroline Brown and her husband moved to Houston in the fall of 2012. If you ask her, the timing couldn¡¯t have worked out better.

¡°Ten days after our move, I discovered a lump on my left breast while I was in the shower,¡± Caroline says.

¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. A mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy revealed stage II ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer. Luckily, our move put the No. 1 cancer center in our back yard. It was the most obvious place to seek treatment.¡±

She immediately made an appointment at MD Anderson and underwent chemotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy. Today, Caroline is a mother of two and proud to be a member of the Advance Team. In October, she celebrated her five-year anniversary as a cancer survivor.

¡°Throughout my cancer journey, I was a big believer in celebrating every milestone,¡± says Caroline. ¡°Whether it was when I progressed into the double digits in number of chemotherapy sessions or when I got to the halfway mark in treatment, I always would have some type of celebration with family and friends.¡±

At the five-year mark, Caroline knew she had to do more.

¡°I wanted to make sure we were celebrating in a way that gave back to MD Anderson,¡± she says. ¡°My anniversary wasn¡¯t only about commemorating that moment and raising donations. It also was about raising awareness of this disease, especially among my friends and family members.¡±

Caroline organized a donation ride at SoulCycle, an indoor cycling studio. More than 50 people showed up for the spin class in support of Caroline, raising $9,000. She decided to contribute the money to MD Anderson¡¯s Caring Fund, which provided financial assistance to employees affected by government-declared natural disasters, such as last summer¡¯s Hurricane Harvey.

¡°The nurses and doctors at MD Anderson continually put their patients first,¡± she says. ¡°When I was a patient there, I was beyond impressed with the level of care I received. It¡¯s humbling to be able to give back to them, when they¡¯ve given so much more to me.¡±