A student-athlete from Sterling Newman High School is looking forward to May 24, 2021. That's the day she gets to ring the bell to signify that she's done with chemotherapy.
Karlie Hey has been one of the best distance runners in the State of Illinois for the past three years. Competing on the school's cross country team and on her track team's 1600 meter, 3200 meter and 4x800 races, her focus had to switch from running to healing when she was diagnosed with sarcoma, a cancer that was attacking her hip.
Since her diagnosis in the summer of 2020, Karlie has been undergoing chemotherapy sessions. Throughout months of treatment, this star runner said there were times when she wanted to stop, but continued to persevere.
Then she got the news.
"My doctor came up and was like, "Cancer's out,"" she recalls.
"I literally wanted to fall to the ground," said Karlie. "It was very overwhelming, but probably the best news I've had throughout my whole life."
That means the end of Karlie's chemotherapy sessions is in sight. As she looks forward to ringing that bell on May 24, she compares her final treatments to nearing the end of a long run.
"I would say I'm at like the hill mark where you have the one big strong hill left and you're wanting to be done, but you can't be done quite yet," she said.
Until then, she's starting to implement some normalcy, being back at school with her friends and looking forward to graduation in mid-May.
Video below is from August 27, 2020
