Kate Zimmerman was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 17, scheduled for emergency surgery where doctors removed a golf ball sized lump inside her neck.
Hailing from California, Zimmerman loves all things sunshine, sweet treats and dancing. She is a third-year member of the BYU Cougarettes, and is used to difficulties, trials and hardships, but found herself in an extra tough spot this year.
For a short while, she was forced to put her life on hold as she prioritized her health.
Zimmerman was perfectly healthy for the first semester of her Junior year.
But that all changed come Christmas break.
“A few days after coming back to Utah, I started to feel pretty sick with headaches, a sore throat and lots of fatigue,” said Zimmerman. “I tried to tough it out for a bit, but I kept feeling worse and worse."
During this time of the semester, Zimmerman mentioned that for her team, preparation for their annual concert was in full swing, as well as extra rehearsals for more choreography.
Since there was no time for rest, Zimmerman’s condition only worsened.
“I ended up going to the doctors … and got tested for a variety of viruses, but none came back positive,” said Zimmerman.
With no clear answers, Zimmerman’s only option was to return back to practice with her team as their concert approached.
As she danced through these five nights of endurance-testing performances, Zimmerman shared that she had never felt more sick. She was fatigued, withdrawn and achy.
“I had been a shell of myself,” said Zimmerman.
“Kate is usually keeping us all laughing," said teammate and friend Halle Larsen. "We love her and her excitement and positivity for each girl on the team."
At this point, she mentioned that she had started to feel uncomfortable pressure in the side of her neck, and informed her athletic trainer who then encouraged her to go back to the doctors.
Zimmerman was tested for more viruses, but still no answers were given.
“The doctors ended up prescribing me medication that made me feel a lot better actually,” said Zimmerman.
After taking her prescription, and receiving a priesthood blessing from a close friend, she had the confidence, faith and strength to make it through the last performance of the concert week.
“I had peace knowing I could do it… I was going to do it with God on my side,” said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman successfully danced through the last show of the week.
After their concert performances, Zimmerman and her team had a full week off to recover. And though the medication had helped her feel better, the pressure in her neck kept building stronger and stronger.
When the team returned, practices for more upcoming events and performances ensued, leaving Zimmerman still feeling pain throughout her neck.
The pain from the pressure began to hurt so much, it would give her major disorienting headaches.
Her athletic trainer made the call to pull her from practice until they figured out what the mass in her neck was.
Zimmerman, true to her humorous nature, jokingly named the mass “Ralph.”
A trip to the emergency room informed Zimmerman that “Ralph” was a result of an infection that had latched onto her lymph node and needed emergency surgery.
“I was so shocked, I didn't think it would be this severe,” said Zimmerman.
With this news, Zimmerman’s father bought an immediate flight to Utah to be with her, proving an unwavering loyalty towards his little girl.
“I'm so lucky to have a dad that cares about me more than anything else going on in his life,” said Zimmerman.
With surgery the next morning, Zimmerman asked for a priesthood blessing to help her feel more comfortable. And though the surgery went well, she remembers feeling awful once she woke up and began to heal.
She was saddened to be advised to stay in the hospital a little while longer to recover, when all Zimmerman could dream of was getting home and back to her normal life.
The only thing that got her through the time in the hospital was the company that came to see her.
“Friends, family and teammates all came to see me,” said Zimmerman.
“I was never bored, I always had company with me, and people taking such good care of me,” said Zimmerman.
“When I went to see her at the hospital she had a huge bandage around her neck … it looked like a scarier situation than I thought she would be in,” said friend Elise Bagley.
“Even in the hospital she was just Kate. She was telling stories and laughing and joking with all of us,” said Bagley.
After three full nights at the hospital, Zimmerman was released and permitted to go home. She was given two full weeks to recover before she was allowed to be back in the dance room with her team again.
And for a while, Zimmerman enjoyed a healthy lifestyle once again.
But unfortunately, her experience with this sickness relapsed in early April.
“I started to feel sick again five days before the cruise,” said Zimmerman.
Because of the unfortunate timing of her relapse, Zimmerman was told she would be unable to attend the BYU "Cruisin’ with the Cougs" sailing event with her team. She was advised to stay home and focus on healing her body.
“I was feeling sad that I wouldn’t be able to wrap up the year with my team but I have never felt so supported and loved by them,” said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman said that as her team traveled to sea without her, she was receiving love and support from them even still.
"Not having Kate with us in person or onstage has left a real void in the overall wonderful experience," said coach Morgan St. Pierre.
“I know that there are girls wishing for incredible friends like that, and I have 23. I am so incredibly lucky,” said Zimmerman
While Zimmerman stayed in Utah to heal her body, doctors were able to find more answers to what she was struggling with physically.
“The doctors were able to find that I was battling strep C,” said Zimmerman.
With more care and rest, Zimmerman has been able to start on her road to a true recovery.
Through this trial, where feelings of pain, frustration and confusion are palpable, Zimmerman continued to have an impressive, bright perspective.
When asked about the lessons she felt she learned from this experience Zimmerman said, “My support system made me feel like that week was full of love and support.”
She was able to walk into a season of hardship and leave stronger, more gracious and more aware of God’s unwavering and unlimited love for her.
“I did it … and it showed me that the Lord cares about what I care about. He makes all things possible,” said Zimmerman.