Cancer.

The Fight
Kaylee had no cancer in her family history. She was active and athletic — not the type of person you’d expect to get cancer. She bravely battled the disease that invaded her body, but at times felt as though she was fighting a losing war. She couldn’t eat, and when she tried, she couldn’t keep her food down. Eventually she was hospitalized with sores covering her mouth and tongue — a side effect of the chemotherapy. Her muscles deteriorated, and she lost a lot of weight. Kaylee missed her active life. She had to be careful with any physical activity due to the possibility that she’d bruise and internally bleed to death.

She watched sadly from the sidelines during basketball games. However, one time early in her illness, she was allowed to play in a game for 30 seconds.

Throughout her illness, Kaylee tried to have a positive attitude, but her optimism was mixed with denial. How could this happen to me? she remembers thinking.

But she’s now quick to offer advice to other teens: “Don’t smoke, because cancer is bad,” she says. Although Kaylee’s cancer isn’t a result of smoking, she says it upsets her to see people smoking because they could get cancer.

Forever Friends
“Losing my hair affected me along with the cancer itself,” Kaylee says. “If I could’ve chosen to be sick the entire time and keep my hair or only be sick part of the time and lose my hair, I would’ve definitely chosen to be sick the entire time. I hated losing my hair!”

Kaylee bought a special shampoo to help keep her hair during the chemo, but it didn’t work — she lost her hair anyway. Once her long dark hair fell out, Kaylee saved it in a box and says she’ll someday have long hair again.

“So many girls talk about how much they hate their hair,” she says. “But you don’t realize how much you like it until you lose it. Not having hair brought a whole new meaning to ‘having a bad hair day.’ ”

Fortunately, Kaylee didn’t go through her ordeal alone. Besides having her family, she also had her good friend, Kelly Siddle, who stayed with her the night of the diagnosis and stood by her side throughout the battle.

“We went to a Christian teen basketball camp together,” Kelly says. “It was really inspiring! We both received a lot of strength for what Kaylee was going through. It was an exciting reminder of the hope we have.”

Friends since the fourth grade, Kaylee and Kelly played the position of “posts” on their basketball team and share a love of sports. When Kaylee began losing her hair, Kelly proved what genuine friendship is all about by making a huge sacrifice.

Kelly promised Kaylee that she’d shave her head so Kaylee wouldn’t feel alone. When they were both without hair, the two went hat shopping. They remember receiving strange looks at out-of-town basketball games and were once asked if they were on the swim team. Kelly says her new ‘do made getting ready for school easy. “It was comfortable — but it didn’t look good. It was really cold in the winter,” Kelly remembers.

Rewards
Because of her devotion to Kaylee, Kelly became a celebrity in her hometown. In fact, she was chosen to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Kelly later learned that her older brother, Troy, had nominated her. She ran two-tenths of a mile in Billings, Mont., as part of the relay.

“Sometimes she’s a bratty little sister, but what she did [for Kaylee] made her deserving to be part of the Olympic spirit,” Troy says. “I’m proud of her. So many teen girls only seem to care about phones and makeup. For her to do something like that really shows her depth. I’m glad she’s my sister.”

Other family and friends were also proud of what Kelly did. “I don’t think I had a friend in my teen years who would’ve done that for me,” Kelly’s father, Nick, says.

And how did Kaylee feel about Kelly shaving her head? “I was so relieved I wouldn’t be alone,” she says. “It felt so good to have my best friend go through this with me. Kelly gave me a lot of strength.”

Now 17 and a senior at Sheridan High School in Sheridan, Wyo., Kaylee is free of cancer and doing wonderfully. As Kelly smiles at her friend, she says, “I’m glad I could make a difference and support her through the hard times.”