Life is no doubt a journey, and for Katy Starck-Monte, it's more like an uncertain expedition.
"I have good days, I have bad days. I'm still kind of shocked that I have cancer," Starck-Monte said.
Starck-Monte is suffering from b-cell lymphoma.
Despite her condition, she remains optimistic, and is already halfway through six rounds of chemotherapy. Her doctors at New York-Presbyterian are hopeful the treatment will put her in remission.
"They are being aggressive with the treatment because it's an aggressive cancer, so it grows very fast," Starck-Monte said.
Having cancer is yet another health hurdle that the 40-year-old has faced head-on.
Eyewitness News first met Starck-Monte and her husband Joey, a New York City firefighter, back in January of 2015. Starck-Monte was at the hospital waiting for a new set of lungs because she has cystic fibrosis.
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In 2011, she had her first double lung transplant, but her body eventually rejected the organs. To keep her spirits up, her friends launched what morphed into a viral social media campaigned called #OomphForKaty.
Starck-Monte was soon tickled pink when actress Blake Lively and others got involved in the campaign. A month later, there was a match, and Starck-Monte went home from the hospital, but she wasn't out of the woods.
"With the medications we have to take so that our bodies don't reject the organs comes risks, like cancer," she said.
At the time, Starck-Monte had one wish, and in May of 2021, it came true after her daughter Riley was born. Starck-Monte's sister was her surrogate.
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Now three years old, Riley is curious and sweet, and loves giving her mom cuddles.
"It's making me fight harder because I want to be around for as long as I possibly can to watch her grow up," Starck-Monte said.
Starck-Monte started chemotherapy in August, and says while she is a little nervous about the next few rounds of treatment, she knows she will get through it.
The #OomphForKaty campaign is once again giving her hope and that extra special push she needs.
"My goals are just to get over this, get as strong as I can be, and just basically get back to being a full-time mom and enjoying life," she said.
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