Kristen Tefertiller, who has been battling leukemia over the past year, had the highest GPA in her graduating class while receiving cancer treatments at Children's Hospital.

According to 9 News, this incredible young woman, who has been through a leukemia diagnosis, a bone marrow transplant and spent nearly eight months away from home getting treatment at Children’s Hospital in Aurora,  is set to be class valedictorian for her upcoming graduating class.

Kristen from Holly, Colorado was helping her dad do some shop work back in 2019 when she suffered a simple scrape that wouldn't stop bleeding. Two weeks into her junior year of high school, she was admitted into Children's Colorado.

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After two traditional chemo treatments, Kristen was part of a revolutionary research study that incorporated the used of umbilical cord cells as part of a bone marrow transplant. Now she’s cancer free.

During her time at Children’s Colorado, her little hometown of Holly raised more than $50,000 to help her family with medical bills. THAT'S what small town living is all about.  During her eight months at the hospital, Kristen said she managed to keep up with her schoolwork by learning remotely and maintain her class’s highest GPA.


She also recognizes her doctor Dr Robert Casey Ph.D. who was her pediatric psychologist and helped with her recovery and will be in attendance when Kristen delivers her speech at graduation.

Kristen plans to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix studying Forensic Psychology after her experience at Children’s Hospital.

This young woman is an inspiration to us all. Well done, Kristen.

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