The American Red Cross continues to face the worst blood shortage in over a decade. And the impact is being felt directly by Richmond area families.

Caroline Dunn helped us paint a picture of what that looks like. The teenager spends her free time creating art and also happens to be fighting cancer.

“I like to do a lot of watercolor, but I typically end up drawing in a lot of ballpoint pens.”

The 15-year-old knows the details matter.

“I got my first sketchbook in the second grade and I’ve been filling them out cover to cover … I have 24 up in my closet,” said Caroline Dunn, a Cancer Fighter and Blood Donation Advocate.

She hopes to show that art professionally one day. But like most kids these days, Caroline’s world took a turn when COVID hit. School looked different as classes turned to virtual learning.

And then, so did Caroline’s health.

“Eventually the symptoms went from just a feeling of something’s wrong to us. It started to get more physical. Like, I noticed the bruising and I noticed that no matter how much I slept, it never felt like enough,” said Caroline Dunn.

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