UK dancer battling cancer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A University of Kentucky dancer is fighting cancer.

Kate Kaufling found out this month that she has osteosarcoma.

Doctors diagnosed Kate with osteosarcoma on June 2. it’s an aggressive form of bone cancer that mostly affects children, teens and young adults.

Despite the bad news, Kate and her family remain positive and optimistic.

“they are just nice; they’re positive. Any negative situation they turn into a positive. Even this situation, they haven’t spoke a negative word,” said Kate’s former dance coach, Greta Gulley.

Kate is a nursing student at the University of Kentucky.

She’s a member of the Tri Delta sorority and on the dance team.

Gulley was Kate’s coach at 360 Dance in Louisville.

“I just hope that she can stay feeling well enough between her treatments that she can still be apart and keep her regular life going as much as possible while we’re trying to get her back to being 100% healthy,” said Gulley.

A GoFundMe page created for Kate and her family is set up. It’s already surpassed $80,000.

“She is going through an aggressive treatment, so it’s gonna be a pretty big financial toll. So the fact that so many people keep sharing it and are giving is an amazing thing,” said Gulley.

Dawn Walters, Kate’s dance coach at UK, couldn’t talk with us today but sent a statement saying:

Kate is so strong, and her determination to beat this is to be admired. We are now her backup dancers and will continue to provide all the support, love and prayers she needs.

Kate is now undergoing chemotherapy and is on her road to remission.

Copyright 2023 WKYT. All rights reserved.