University of Kentucky dance team member Kate Kaufling has died. She was 20.
The university announced the sad news on April 1 in a statement posted on their website. Kaufling, who was a sophomore at the university, died on March 31, after a battle with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
Kaufling, a nursing student, and her twin sister, Abbey, joined the dance team in fall 2023.
“Kate was a joy to coach and to be around. Her smile could light up a room and she was beloved by all of her UKDT teammates,” said UK dance team head coach Dawn Walters. “We are all saddened by Kate’s passing. 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. Our thoughts, prayers and love are with the Kaufling family.”
Additionally, UK’s executive associate athletics director Sandy Bell said that in addition to being a talented dancer, Kaufling “was also an amazing student, in the College of Nursing, who took her academics very seriously.”
Bell noted that the young student was beloved by all who knew “and she will be deeply missed.”
Osteosarcoma can begin in the bones, often found in the legs and sometimes arms, according to Mayo Clinic. The bone cancer most often happens in teenagers and young adults. Symptoms include bone or joint pain that can be mistaken for growing pains, swelling near a bone or pain related to a bone that breaks for no clear reason.
It appears Kaufling rarely shared updates on her health and treatment on her social media. However, on Jan. 6, she posted about ending her chemotherapy treatment.
She shared a video of herself ringing the bell at the hospital, marking the “end of chemo.”
“I felt it was a good time to post. Being the perfectionist I am, I…
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