October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so we wanted to recognize one dancer who is dancing through her diagnosis. In 2014, Maggie K was a 23 year old dancer performing with the Joffrey Concert Group in New York City. So when she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in June of that year, she was understandably shocked and heartbroken.

Her tumor spread to her bones and lymph nodes, and she moved back to her native Maryland to begin treatment. Fortunately, chemotherapy worked well ofr Maggie, and after a double mastectomy her test results showed the cancer was gone. Amazingly, she was back in the studio just six days after her surgery.

However, her type of metastasized cancer means that she is still at risk, as there could still be undetectable cells in her body. Because stage 4 breast cancer is considered incurable, she must remain on medication for the rest of her life, which has resulted in an enormous burden, both physically, mentally, and financially.

But despite all of this, Maggie is still dancing! What an inspiration. She's hoping to return to NYC soon. In the meantime, you can follow her on social media @BaldBallerina , or learn more about her journey and