On February 1, 2025, Caroline Laubach was recognized as Survivor of the Year at the annual American Heart Association Heart Ball in Lehigh-Berks County. “When I was asked over the summer to be the American Heart Association Lehigh and Berk’s County survivor of the year for 2025, I felt extremely honored and grateful,” she says. Reflecting on the experience, she shared that it reinforced her sense of purpose and the path she was meant to follow in her life.
Laubach’s resilience is undeniable–she has faced every challenge with unwavering determination. In March 2022, during the spring semester of her first year of college, Laubach was diagnosed with heart, liver, and kidney failure, leading to life support and being placed on the transplant list. As her journey continued, she withdrew from college to focus on her health, later easing back into academics by taking part-time courses at a community college. Amidst her recovery, she was diagnosed with both cancer and Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder.
During this time, she also learned that she had been paralyzed. “I completely broke down,” she recalls. “I felt so torn–grateful that my life had been saved by my donor hero and the amazing doctors and nurses at Penn but absolutely devastated that I couldn’t just go home and be the same person I was.”
Over time, Laubach came to understand that her experiences shaped her into the person she was meant to be, ultimately leading her to transfer to Cedar Crest this past spring semester. “Cedar Crest made me feel welcome and supported from day one, which is something I didn’t experience anywhere else,” she says.
Now a nutrition major with the goal of earning a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Laubach is deeply engaged in the campus community. She serves as the secretary of the Disabled Students Union, a club dedicated to raising awareness and breaking stigmas surrounding disability. Through it all, she continues to turn every challenge into an opportunity, using her journey to inspire and advocate for others.