Current:Home > FinanceBrave until the end: University of Kentucky dancer Kate Kaufling dies at 20 from cancer -FundCenter
Brave until the end: University of Kentucky dancer Kate Kaufling dies at 20 from cancer
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:11:13
University of Kentucky dancer Kate Kaufling died has died after battling a form of bone cancer, the athletics department said. She was 20.
The college sophomore and dance team member was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last June just weeks after she noticed a few lumps and swollen lymph nodes, according to a GoFundMe page. She died on Sunday.
"In addition to being a talented dancer, Kate was also an amazing student, in the College of Nursing, who took her academics very seriously," Sandy Bell, the university's executive associate athletics director, said in a department news release. "Even during her cancer treatments, Kate kept up with her studies, setting an amazing example for her teammates"
Head coach Dawn Walters said Kaufling was beloved by her teammates and described her as someone with a smile that could light up a room, according to the news release.
"We are all saddened by Kate’s passing," Walters said. "We will remember her for the tough battle she fought with osteosarcoma over the past year. She was brave until the very end and all of us can draw inspiration from the courageous battle that she fought."
Kaufling joined team with twin sister
Kaufling joined the dance team in the fall 2023 semester alongside her twin sister Abbey, the news release said.
Sports photographer Mont Dawson shared photos that he captured of the performer on Facebook hoping they offer her family "some peace and comfort and a reminder of the good times with our precious Kate Kaufling."
"The drive, motivation, and balance she had for her extremely busy lifestyle absolutely fascinated me," Kaufling's friend Sydney Lanham wrote on Facebook last June following her diagnosis. "Not a day would go by during the school year where Kate would slack or take off."
Amid her battle a private Facebook group titled "Kate's Krew - Kate's Fight Against Osteosarcoma" rallied support for Kaufling.
Funeral arrangements are pending as of Monday, according to the UK Athletics. She is also survived by her parents Holly and Steve Kaufling.
veryGood! (584)
Related
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- An abortion doula pivots after North Carolina's new restrictions
- As the Culture Wars Flare Amid the Pandemic, a Call to Speak ‘Science to Power’
- Wildfires Trap Thousands on Beach in Australia as Death Toll Rises
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- West Virginia governor defends Do it for Babydog vaccine lottery after federal subpoena
- Rita Wilson Addresses That Tense Cannes Film Festival Photo With Tom Hanks
- California man who attacked police with taser on Jan. 6 sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Today’s Dylan Dreyer Shares Son Calvin’s Celiac Disease Diagnosis Amid “Constant Pain”
Ranking
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Study Links Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure to Hospitalizations for Growing List of Health Problems
- North Carolina's governor vetoed a 12-week abortion ban, setting up an override fight
- Lifesaving or stigmatizing? Parents wrestle with obesity treatment options for kids
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- FDA advisers support approval of RSV vaccine to protect infants
- Keystone XL Pipeline Has Enough Oil Suppliers, Will Be Built, TransCanada Says
- Indiana reprimands doctor who spoke publicly about providing 10-year-old's abortion
Recommendation
Intellectuals vs. The Internet
The Lighting Paradox: Cheaper, Efficient LEDs Save Energy, and People Use More
Keep Up With Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson's Cutest Moments With True and Tatum
Coronavirus FAQ: 'Emergency' over! Do we unmask and grin? Or adjust our worries?
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
Duke Energy Takes Aim at the Solar Panels Atop N.C. Church
House sidesteps vote on Biden impeachment resolution amid GOP infighting
Economy Would Gain Two Million New Jobs in Low-Carbon Transition, Study Says