This is a sad local story:

Katie lived life to fullest



gazette.com

One of Katie Kennedy’s last wishes was to go to Hawaii. She wanted to see the blue water, the volcanoes, the different islands. She wanted to swim in the Pacific Ocean.

Stricken with a rare form of cancer, she turned to the Make-A-Wish Foundation a few months ago. The foundation came through. The flight was set for October.

But Katie, who made the Mayor’s 100 Teens list this year for her “remarkable faith” and undying spirit, never made it.

The Liberty High School sophomore died early Wednesday at her Briargate home.

Her family was at her side as she took her last breath on the hospital bed tucked into her parents’ bedroom in her final week.

“She was quite a fighter,” her father, Van Kennedy, 43, said Thursday. “She was our baby. She was only 15. Her 16th birthday would have been on Dec. 23.”

If there is any bright side to the death of somebody so young, it is that Katie lived life to the fullest and that her final moments were painless, her father said.

“The one thing about Katie is she never complained,” he said. “And she never said, ‘Why me, Lord?’ Her faith was so strong.”

That’s not to say she didn’t suffer during her two-year struggle to defeat the Krukenberg tumor, a rare cancer that started in her ovaries, spread to her bones and finally reached her lungs.

Chemotherapy took her long, brown hair. Although it would grow back, it would never be the same. Her older brother, Donavan, 20, fashioned a mohawk out of what little hair remained.

“That was at the beginning of the summer,” he said, “but it fell out. It would always fall out, no matter what we did or how hard we tried, it fell out.”

At first, the symptoms were nausea and fatigue. She’d pass out without warning. Then the family took her to the doctor. Tests were conducted. The bad news was delivered. Katie took it and kept going. If a student made fun of another for being too fat or too slow, Katie let him have it, her father said. “She was always sensitive to the plight of others.” As for her own plight, she wasn’t going to let cancer put a crimp in her lifestyle — not as long as she could help it. She continued to play volleyball when she could. She continued to be a good student when she could make it to class. She continued to serve on the leadership team for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She continued to absolutely love dogs, especially puppies.

Two weeks ago, just before she was to undergo surgery to clear her lungs of the mounting fluids, Katie’s older sister, Ashlee, 17, and Donavan snuck Nemo, her schnauzer puppy, into Memorial Hospital.

“I’ll never forget it. She was just so happy when she saw her,” Ashlee said.

In “The Mayor’s 100 Teens,” a book Colorado Springs publishes each year, Katie can be seen wearing a beach hat to hide her hair loss.

“It may seem incomprehensible to some, but sometimes just the very act of living is an accomplishment unto itself,” reads her biography, which her school counselor, Carol Wallander, wrote.

In the book, Katie wrote that her No. 1 goal was “to always try my hardest and to never give up.”

As for her life philosophy, it was this: “Let God light your path and you’ll never fail.”

When Katie found out she couldn’t go to Hawaii, she made another wish: to stay at The Broadmoor hotel or to have her picture taken with the rest of the family as a way of recording her final moments.

But time ran out.

“I know she’s up there in heaven thinking of us,” her father said, “and we’re thinking of her, too.”

How very sad. :'(
My heart goes out to Katie's family.

Quoting:
This is a sad local story:

Katie lived life to fullest



gazette.com

One of Katie Kennedy’s last wishes was to go to Hawaii. She wanted to see the blue water, the volcanoes, the different islands. She wanted to swim in the Pacific Ocean.

Stricken with a rare form of cancer, she turned to the Make-A-Wish Foundation a few months ago. The foundation came through. The flight was set for October.

But Katie, who made the Mayor’s 100 Teens list this year for her “remarkable faith” and undying spirit, never made it.

The Liberty High School sophomore died early Wednesday at her Briargate home.

Her family was at her side as she took her last breath on the hospital bed tucked into her parents’ bedroom in her final week.

“She was quite a fighter,” her father, Van Kennedy, 43, said Thursday. “She was our baby. She was only 15. Her 16th birthday would have been on Dec. 23.”

If there is any bright side to the death of somebody so young, it is that Katie lived life to the fullest and that her final moments were painless, her father said.

“The one thing about Katie is she never complained,” he said. “And she never said, ‘Why me, Lord?’ Her faith was so strong.”

That’s not to say she didn’t suffer during her two-year struggle to defeat the Krukenberg tumor, a rare cancer that started in her ovaries, spread to her bones and finally reached her lungs.

Chemotherapy took her long, brown hair. Although it would grow back, it would never be the same. Her older brother, Donavan, 20, fashioned a mohawk out of what little hair remained.

“That was at the beginning of the summer,” he said, “but it fell out. It would always fall out, no matter what we did or how hard we tried, it fell out.”

At first, the symptoms were nausea and fatigue. She’d pass out without warning. Then the family took her to the doctor. Tests were conducted. The bad news was delivered. Katie took it and kept going. If a student made fun of another for being too fat or too slow, Katie let him have it, her father said. “She was always sensitive to the plight of others.” As for her own plight, she wasn’t going to let cancer put a crimp in her lifestyle — not as long as she could help it. She continued to play volleyball when she could. She continued to be a good student when she could make it to class. She continued to serve on the leadership team for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She continued to absolutely love dogs, especially puppies.

Two weeks ago, just before she was to undergo surgery to clear her lungs of the mounting fluids, Katie’s older sister, Ashlee, 17, and Donavan snuck Nemo, her schnauzer puppy, into Memorial Hospital.

“I’ll never forget it. She was just so happy when she saw her,” Ashlee said.

In “The Mayor’s 100 Teens,” a book Colorado Springs publishes each year, Katie can be seen wearing a beach hat to hide her hair loss.

“It may seem incomprehensible to some, but sometimes just the very act of living is an accomplishment unto itself,” reads her biography, which her school counselor, Carol Wallander, wrote.

In the book, Katie wrote that her No. 1 goal was “to always try my hardest and to never give up.”

As for her life philosophy, it was this: “Let God light your path and you’ll never fail.”

When Katie found out she couldn’t go to Hawaii, she made another wish: to stay at The Broadmoor hotel or to have her picture taken with the rest of the family as a way of recording her final moments.

But time ran out.

“I know she’s up there in heaven thinking of us,” her father said, “and we’re thinking of her, too.”

End Quote

It's amazing to see such a young person have such a love for life.  I'm sure she will be missed by many, but her determination to life her life to the fullest should be an encouragement to those with the same problems.  RIP Katie :'(

Thanks for the kind words, Indy Gent and 80s Cheerleader....I told her parents about the site and the were also appreciative.

That's awful. *hugs* to her family and friends.
But what spirit and courage and determination she had. If I ever have half of what she had, I will consider myself blessed.

RIP Katie.  :'(

:'( thats horrible.  What a year.