Reality TV star diagnosed with breast cancer at 34 she vows to fight disease
Katie Thurston, who starred on season 17 of The Bachelorette and got engaged to Jeff Arcuri, revealed on social media that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer
Reality TV star Katie Thurston has bravely revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 34 year old former Bachelorette star, who got engaged to comedian Jeff Arcuri in September, shared the devastating news on social media, explaining that her Valentine's Day was spent arranging treatment logistics rather than celebrating with her partner. Taking to Instagram, Katie wrote: "Life update: I have breast cancer. Yesterday I saw all the couples post their Valentine's Day celebrations. I felt envious if I'm being honest. Jeff took me to Hawaii and after, we were going to travel the world before planting roots together in NYC finally. But instead, my Vday was spent coordinating a place to live as I have to go back to LA for more testing and treatment."
Katie, who has captured the hearts of fans on The Bachelorette, has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions leading up to her diagnosis but is now determined to use her platform to raise awareness about breast cancer and is preparing to "fight" the illness. She continued: "I experienced a range of emotions over the past two weeks. Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready. I cried a lot. I tried to even make a video instead of this post and couldn't."
The star took to Instagram to reveal her diagnosis (Image: ABC via Getty Images)
In an emotional post, the courageous young woman revealed how she sought comfort in the experiences of others who had battled similar health issues to her.
"But one thing I did early on was search other stories like mine. Other young women with breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma. Mastectomy. Pregnancy after breast cancer," reports the Mirror.
She continued, "All of their stories helped. So I intend to be the same for others. This is day one of sharing and is going to be a long one. This first step of acceptance of my reality was the hardest. But I am ready to fight this."
Katie said she looked at stories similar to hers to come to terms with the diagnosis (Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Katie concluded her heartfelt message by expressing profound thanks to her fiance for his constant love and support, saying: "And I saved the best for last. To my extraordinary husband to be @jarcuri - I don't know how I'd do this without you. The selfless love that you smother me in is beyond anything I imagined I'd be blessed with. I love you to the fullest in this lifetime and the next."
Katie is in the process of relocating from California to New York alongside her fiancé, comedian, Jeff. The comedian proposed in 2024 after several months of dating.
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