Anyone who’s lived in Seattle for a significant amount of time in recent years would likely recognize Kathi Goertzen. The 30-year KOMO News veteran, former nightly news anchor and Magnolia resident is undergoing surgery today to remove parts of an aggressive brain tumor that she’s been battling for the past 11 years.
Yesterday our sister site Magnolia Voice published excerpts from Kathi’s story, which she shared on the KOMO website Tuesday night.
Although the doctors say Kathi’s tumor is benign, it has continued to grow back, and recently damaged her facial nerve, causing her to lose control over some of the muscles in her face. The worst part of this, Kathi says, is her “inability to break into the wide smile I so much enjoy.”
“It’s not easy sharing this picture. After 30 years of being a news anchor for KOMO-TV, I’m dealing with a challenge, as you can see. But I don’t give up easily,” Kathi wrote. “Luckily, I have excellent medical care and have great support with family, friends, and viewers.”
You can read the rest of Kathi’s story here and here.
Kathi and her family have received an outpouring of support from family, friends, Seattle-ites, and viewers since posting her letter earlier this week. If you’d like to send well wishes and messages of support to her and her family, you may do so on Kathi’s Facebook page.