If I can get through cancer, I can get through anything: Words from NC4K Hero Katy Titchell

This December, it will have been exactly ten years since Katy Titchell was diagnosed with cancer, right in the middle of her senior year of high school. She didn’t let her four-month treatment journey get in the way of her busy schedule: Katy continued working on her Girl Scout Gold Award project, competing with her dance team, and even playing Rapunzel in the school musical the day after she shaved her head. Coincidentally, Katy was also enrolled in a health and human advocacy class her senior year that included a partnership with NC4K. She was able to immediately start receiving support services, such as meals delivered to the hospital and a gift card to go shopping on her birthday.

Now, as a 28-year-old, Katy works as a registered veterinary technician at Cross Creeks Animal Hospital in Pickerington. She says she is grateful to be surrounded by a community of people who match her enthusiasm in giving back to NC4K. The animal hospital hosts a gift drive every year during the holiday season, and her best friend, who runs a booth at the farmers market, worked with Katy to sell tickets for a raffle basket and donate the proceeds to NC4K for this year’s September campaign.

Katy and her family also choose to give back to NC4K by attending the Fashion Show every year. Her first one was in 2014, when she modeled with a group of girls from her dance team, and her most recent one was this year’s Pure Imagination Fashion Show on October 5. We sat down with Katy to hear her perspective on the Fashion Show, how it’s changed, and why she continues to participate 10 years after her cancer diagnosis.

“[The reason I keep coming back to the Fashion Show is] definitely the positive energy. Everybody’s cheering for you, they’re rooting for you. One year, actually…I got to talk, and I remember in my speech I was like, ‘I’m just two years cancer free,’ and…everyone just cheered, and I was like, ‘Oh! Thanks!’ It doesn’t feel like an accomplishment sometimes, especially when I was newer. It seemed like a weird thing to celebrate, but people [will say] ‘Good for you, good job. I know it’s a fight you didn’t want to have to do, but we’re happy you’re here, we’re glad you made it through.’”

Katy says that each time her family attends the Fashion Show, they connect with more people, which has expanded her support group. This year, she decided to bring along her best friend who sold raffle tickets with her:

“It was really fun to watch her experience the Fashion Show for the first time, just because I’ve been going for so many years, I’m used to how things are gonna go. She had so much fun. I mean, she’s been talking about it for weeks now. She was like, ‘It was so much fun, it was so great, the kids are so awesome.’ She was just, like, in awe…It was kind of like I got to experience it for the first time through her.”

Having attended the Fashion Show every year for a decade, Katy has a unique perspective on the ways it’s changed since her very first one. She remarks on how it’s gained popularity and become a bigger event each year, and she admires the growth of the show’s collaboration with clothing sponsors.

“My first few years I was in it, I picked my own outfits. It’s been really cool to see all of the brands and the sponsors and places just around Columbus that want to sponsor the models and donate clothes to the models. I feel like that has really grown over the past ten years, where it’s now more of a ‘fashion show’ where these brands are showing off their clothes…that’s really cool that the models get to take those clothes.”

Katy no longer models during the Fashion Show's main program, but she still chooses to join the traditional Hero Walk at the end of the show. During the Hero Walk, the kids and teens in the room who have faced cancer are invited onstage to be recognized and celebrated by the audience. Katy explains that it’s important to her to continue participating in the Hero Walk so she can remind people of the older kids and young adults who have experienced a pediatric cancer diagnosis. She also hopes to offer some inspiration to younger Heroes:

“I still share my story just to show people that there is a life after chemo. I understand that sometimes it comes back for people and sometimes they have to go through it again…I know that I’m lucky that I don’t have to do it anymore, but I want to help people that aren’t as lucky as myself…when I was going through treatment when I was 17, it would have been great to see somebody that’s 28 on the other side of it going, 'Hey, you’re gonna get through it, your hair’s gonna grow back, you’re gonna stop feeling like crap—it’s gonna be okay.'"

Katy goes on to say that she reflects on her journey with cancer in order to find courage in herself:

“Cancer has been my hardest battle, both physically and mentally, and the battle didn't end when I rang the bell. I've had to continue to work through lasting effects over the years, but I think it did help me grow as a person. Now I go through life with a mindset of ‘If I can get through cancer, I can get through anything.’

“I saw a quote online once that read ‘If I didn't have cancer, I'd say I had the perfect life. But if it wasn't for cancer, would I even realize it?’ That quote really resonated with me and really humbled me. Cancer is a part of my story and I know I'm who I am today because of it. I don't let it define me, but I also don't shy away from it. I will continue to share my story to let others know that if they ever hear that big, ugly word ‘cancer,’ that I'm here to talk if they need someone. No one ever has to fight alone.”

Want to join Katy and NC4K in our mission to ensure No Kid Fights Cancer Alone? Visit nc4k.org or email Hannah, Outreach Specialist, at [email protected].