Thyroid cancer survivor, Catherine Cazzari, shares her story at Siena College for media class project.
At the age of 15, a sophomore at the time on the Mahopac Varsity Girls Basketball team, Catherine (Cat) Cazzari was hit in the neck during a game, and immediately fell to the ground. Cat spent her 16th birthday in the hospital, undergoing months of test and scans, when finally a biopsy was performed and it was discovered that Cat had Thyroid Cancer. Cat was diagnosed on August 26th, 2011. Two weeks later she had surgery, where her thyroid and a number of lymph nodes were removed. Although Cat knew the road ahead would be tough, having an athlete mentality, she did not allow this to debilitate her rather motivate her to push forward and fight towards recovery. And that she did. Cat defied the odds and did what no one expected, played basketball again. Although Cat had cancer, that did not mean she could not still enjoy the things she loved- basketball, family and friends, school and simply having fun. Cat embraced her diagnosis and allowed it to propel her forward. Cat graduated from high school and will begin her second year at Siena College in Albany, NY. She has since started to share her story to inspire and guide others. Cat has become involved with a variety of non-profits to help raise awareness. Cat was recognized at THANC’s 2013 Gala as a Faces of Courage honoree – a Head and Neck Cancer conqueror who displays the strength to face it and the strength to fight it. Cat recently produced a four minute long video sharing her story, which focused on THANC, for a media project at Siena College. She also participated in THANC’s recent spin event, which raised over $13,000 for the foundation.
Read more from this series.
Part 1: Halloween Half-Marathon and Relay in Memory of Joseph A. Russo
Part 3: THANC Supporter Completes Citizen Leadership and Social Change Project
Part 4: The Annual Check-Up from the Neck Up Benefit
