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Kylie's Kids: Meet Kealy

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Starting high school can be nerve wracking as it is, but imagine starting your freshman year while battling cancer.

That's exactly what Kealy is doing. She just started her freshman year at Brainerd High School and is fighting Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL).

It's not hard to become fast friends with Kealy.

"I'm very much an extrovert, not much of an introvert," Kealy said. "So if you ever meet me, and I'm like 'Hey!' Please don't be scared."

Kealy's first few weeks of freshman year were filled with unexpected friends.

"I have become such good friends with so many of the doctors and nurses," Kealy said.

Twice a week, she travels from Brainerd to Masonic Children's Hospital in the Twin Cities.

"I had very bad knee pain," Kealy said. "I couldn't walk, I couldn't play sports."

What started as just knee pain this summer turned out to be DLBL.

"I just really keep a positive attitude about it," Kealy said. "It's just a small blip in the road for me. Everyone is here for me. The whole town of Brainerd is behind me, and I love that. It makes you realize how supportive people really are when times get tough."

Kealy said the chemo is working and her tumor is starting to shrink.

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