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Caroline represents the last hurdle for Dr. David Henry to cross in his scheme to dispose of his daughter with Down syndrome. She allows him to play on her sense that they are kindred spirits to make her complicit in his crime. Her belief in his inherent goodness causes her to trust his judgment until she sees the harm that his actions will perpetrate. When Caroline views the institution where he wants to commit his daughter, her practiced nurse’s eye critically evaluates the depersonalized care that will be Phoebe’s fate.

Caroline rises to the occasion to become the unlikely antagonist to David’s intentions. An only child born to older parents, she experienced isolation and loneliness in their overprotective care. Rather than making her bitter or resentful, that experience developed in her a powerful imagination that she invested in altruistic dreams. At this crux in her life, Caroline still pursues placement as a medical missionary, her empathy leading her to aspire to be a transformative agent in people’s lives. A single woman with few prospects of marriage at thirty-one years old, she embraces the saving of Phoebe as her life’s mission. Over the years, Caroline possesses the patience and determination to see Phoebe blossom to her full potential as an independent, fulfilled woman, albeit with anxiety and reluctance to release Phoebe into the world at times. Additionally, Caroline finds romantic and familial love with Al Simpson and learns about the strength of unconditional love as he accepts Phoebe as his own. By the end of the story, Caroline restores Phoebe to her family, and even admits that her motives in raising Phoebe originally came from her desperation to be a mother. However, despite Phoebe’s flaws, her genuine care is admirable and life-changing.

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