Caroline's story

For years, Anne Boardman’s life has been measured in miles. 

From Fort Fairfield to Bangor, Maine, and occasionally to Boston, she has spent countless hours on the road to ensure her daughter, Caroline, receives the specialized care she needs.

Soon after birth, Caroline was airlifted to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where she spent her first eight weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She was diagnosed with Down syndrome and a serious heart defect.

Caroline's health journey continued with open-heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital when she was seven months old. In 2022, at two-and-a-half years old, Caroline was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

"When we learned of Caroline's needs, I stepped away from my teaching career to become her primary caregiver and chauffeur," says Anne. "The Fuel the Care gift cards were a blessing every single time we received them."

Since 2002, Irving Oil’s Fuel the Care program has provided fuel gift cards to more than 120,000 families in Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland who require travel for their children's medical care.

For Anne and family, the miles quickly added up. Living in Fort Fairfield, ME, they regularly travel to Bangor and Boston for Caroline’s medical appointments.

"While I was in the hospital, my young adult daughter was at home," Anne says. "Fuel the Care made it possible for her to join us without the financial burden of gas costs."

Today, Caroline is cancer-free and thriving. She is preparing to start kindergarten and enjoys climbing, swimming, playing with her dog, Ollie, and any opportunity for a hotel adventure.

"While her medical journey continues, she has overcome so much," Anne says. "Hard times don't last forever."

By fuelling up at Irving Oil, you support Fuel the Care, helping families like Anne and Caroline's, so they can focus on what matters most during a child's medical journey. 

Thank you for making a difference.