For Breast Cancer Awareness month, we figured we’d focus in on Kristy and the very long journey she had with the disease. This picture is from October of 2012. It pictures Kristy, Scott, their daughter Kody, and her then fiancé, Andy, crossing the finish line of the big Susan G. Komen 5k in Kingsport, TN.
At this point in her life, Kristy had defeated her original breast cancer diagnosis. After being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer (which had already spread into her lymph nodes) in the summer of 2007, Kristy fought an aggressive battle. After intense chemo and radiation, Kristy began a series of reconstruction surgeries with a plastic surgeon at Vanderbilt University. Kristy continued to teach dance at her studio throughout the entire process. She taught in different colored wigs because she didn’t want the little ones to be scared about her diagnosis; she carried a wound-vac as she taught; at one point, they even put leaches on her to try to save a piece of skin after surgery. Through it all, Kristy changed not one thing about her lifestyle. She stared her diagnosis in the face and stepped right past it without flinching. Most of the community around her had absolutely no idea she was going through such an arduous medical journey. Her studio rallied around her, and they created their own logo “tutus for tatas” to go run the 5k together.
Sadly, cancer was not done with her yet, as her cancer resurfaced in November of 2012 (it was probably already active when this picture was taken). Through it all, Kristy Pratt lived her best, most festive life.