TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay Rays fan credits her love of baseball for helping her get through her cancer diagnosis.
Carol Dennis was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2021. She experienced fatigue and went to see her doctor for blood work.
"I was tired, highly fatigued, got tired very easy," said Dennis.
She was referred to Moffitt Cancer Center, where she saw a team of doctors. She needed chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant and participated in a clinical trial.
"There’s a thing called Be the Match, and your name goes in that, and they look. It didn’t take them long to find somebody that matched me," said Dennis.
Dennis said her love of baseball started at an early age. She attended the Rochester Red Wings games, where it cost her a dime to enter them in elementary school.
She moved to Florida in 1960 and worked as a teacher in Manatee County for nearly 38 years.
Dennis has been a Tampa Bay Rays fan since the team's opening day in 1998.
"Opening day. From there...right from the beginning, they didn't win much, but when you're a baseball fan, it doesn't matter. It's just the atmosphere at Tropicana Field," said Dennis.
Dennis said the baseball field is her happy place, and she goes to games any chance she gets.
She has been a season ticket holder for 25 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her cardboard cutout sat in the outfield at Tropicana Field.
Her family surprised her on September 23, 2023, and brought her back to Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays honored Dennis through the Salute to Survivors program. Her favorite mascot, Raymond, stopped by for a hug.
"It’s just a passion. I just enjoy everything about it," she said.
Dennis said her cancer is in remission, but doctors continue to monitor her blood work. She encourages others never to give up.
