Katie-Marie Martin was diagnosed with sacral chordoma, a type of spinal sarcoma cancer. She started experiencing back pain and thought it was a slipped disc, something not uncommon for a professional dancer. However an MRI revealed a tumor on her spine. She received proton beam therapy which shrunk the tumor to a third of its original size. The treatment resulted in side effects including loss of muscle, mobility and stamina.

Three months after the treatment ended she was back on stage. She's since performed in six productions and has been teaching dance as well. "I do get tired easily, but I’d rather do something to warrant being tired than just be tired from being ill."

Read more of Martin's story here.