NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 10, 2025 / Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

The high school years are a pivotal time in life - getting more involved in school activities, learning to drive, going to prom, choosing post-graduation plans, preparing for adulthood and so much more. For Katie Rutherford, it was also about surviving.

As a sophomore in high school, Katie was very active, singing in the chorus and playing soccer, basketball and softball. Then, one day, she noticed a hard bump on her chin. It continued to grow to the point that it affected her ability to talk and eat. Knowing something wasn't normal, she went to the ER at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to find answers. After many tests, including an ultrasound and biopsy, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that develops in muscle tissue. And it had spread to the lymph nodes.

"Honestly, I was in shock and went immediately into survival mode," said Katie. "I worried about my parents and how they would juggle the stress and anxiety ahead while caring not just for me, but for my two siblings as well."

Following the diagnosis, Katie immediately met with an oncologist to discuss options and began treatment in 2017 - 48 rounds of chemotherapy and 27 rounds of radiation. Katie's parents shaved their own heads in solidarity as she went through treatment.

"Every time I went in for an appointment - though the treatment made me feel horrible - everyone at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center made me feel cared for," said Katie. "They truly changed my life for the better."

Her care team also included in-home tutors, who made sure she could graduate on time. And, to be sure she didn't miss out on one of the most coveted teenage milestones, Katie's family and friends planned a big party for her 16th birthday, surrounding her with lots of love and support - a day that Katie says was one of the best of her life.

In 2018, Katie completed treatment and got to mark the end of this journey by ringing the bell, a long-standing symbolic gesture of celebration and hope.

Katie just celebrated her 7^th anniversary of ringing the cancer bell in February, and in the seven years since that moment, Katie went to college, majored in public relations and landed an internship with the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and, after graduation, joined the team full time as program coordinator for the foundation.

"I wanted to find a way to use my talents to give back to the community that poured so much into me, and as luck would have it, the perfect opportunity opened up at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center," said Katie. "Every day is special here, and it's such an honor to get to build relationships with the patients, families and caregivers and show them there is so much hope for life beyond the bell."

Learn more about the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - including volunteer and donation opportunities - by visiting www.choa.org/jointhefight.

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SOURCE: Aflac Incorporated

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire