NEED TO KNOW
Teen sisters were diagnosed with a rare bone cancer after their mother died from breast cancer
The sisters, Cassandra and Katelyn Harding, documented their journeys on Instagram, where followers learned on July 23 that the younger sister, Katelyn, had died
Cassandra’s cancer has metastasized to her lungs
A young woman has died from a rare bone cancer that her older sister is fighting.
Katelyn and Cassandra Harding, who hail from Canada, had lost their mother to breast cancer in 2014.
Cassandra was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2022 when she was just 19. It’s a relatively rare cancer, John Hopkins Medicine explains, with less than 1,000 cases diagnosed in the U.S. every year. The bone cancer starts in the upper arm or around the knee, and as it spreads, it invades tendons, tissues, and organs.
When Cassandra’s cancer was discovered, it had already spread from her knee to her femur and tibia. Surgical removal was the only option, causing Cassandra to need a prosthetic metal knee, femur, and tibia. She also underwent 40 weeks of chemotherapy, which ended in May 2023.
Harding Sisters/Instagram
Katelyn Harding has died after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma as a teen.
A month after Cassandra finished chemotherapy, in June 2023, her younger sister Katelyn was diagnosed with the same type of cancer. As a GoFundMe established to help the sisters through their medical ordeal explains, when Katelyn’s cancer was discovered, it was already in her pelvis, tailbone, and spine.
Throughout their journey, they documented their cancer struggle on the Instagram account HardingSisters45.
In March 2024, they shared that Cassie had also been diagnosed with metastatic sarcoma lung cancer — meaning, her cancer had spread to her lungs.
And a recent update on Katelyn’s health said that she was undergoing radiation for an 8-inch tumor in her pelvis.
The sisters remained incredibly close throughout their ordeal and vowed to “fight together.”
A recent photo showed the two of them embracing in a hospital bed, with the caption, “Sister bond, sister strength.”
The news of Katelyn’s death was posted on July 23.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Katie Bug (Katelyn Harding). After a 2 year battle with cancer (Osteosarcoma) Katie Bug has left us peacefully surrounded by her closest of family,” the post said. “At the young age of 20yrs old Katie touched countless hearts and brought a smile with everyone she met. She now rests in peace and is not alone as she has joined her mother (Devorah Sorger).”
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