Columbus nurse advocates for childhood cancer patients

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, honoring children facing pediatric cancer, supporting affected families, and raising critical funding for research.

For Katy McRae, a nurse at the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital, it’s also an opportunity to keep her daughter’s legacy alive and advocate for childhood cancer patients. Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children and adolescents.

When Katy recently joined more than 115 people for the signing of a Childhood Cancer Awareness Month proclamation at the Georgia State Capitol, the event was personal. Her daughter, Alexis “Lexy” McRae, passed away in February 2024 at the age of 15 after battling osteosarcoma (a rare, aggressive type of bone cancer) for over four years.

Throughout her battle, Lexy became a powerful advocate for children with cancer and helped bring national attention to issues affecting Georgia families and Medicaid.

“I continue Lexy’s mission and honor her life by advocating for state and federal laws and policies that strengthen childhood cancer research, improve access to effective treatments, advance the search for cures and support children and families affected by childhood cancer,” McRae said.

She traveled to the Gold Dome in Atlanta for the proclamation on Aug. 31, joining members of the Georgia Pediatric Cancer Task Force, physicians and providers from the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, representatives from eight childhood cancer organizations, plus childhood cancer survivors and children who are currently fighting cancer and their families.

Katy also met Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, first lady Marty Kemp as well as Dean Crowe, CEO and founder of the Rally Foundation and Georgia Pediatric Cancer Task Force co-chair.

Katy was recently nominated and accepted a seat on the Georgia Pediatric Cancer Task Force, which is made up of medical providers, researchers, advocates, cancer survivors and government officials. The task force was created to establish and help implement Georgia’s first unified strategy to fight childhood cancer.

“This is a meaningful opportunity for one of our Piedmont nurses to represent and advocate for children and their families in the Columbus community and across the state of Georgia,” Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital clinical manager Resa Lord said.

Katy and her husband, Michael, previously took part in the Katie Beckett Medicaid Roundtable, where they advocated for reforms that went into effect in April 2026. Their advocacy work doesn’t just stop within state lines. They have participated in CureFest in Washington, D.C., where they joined other advocates in marching to the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness of childhood cancer and the need for continued legislative action.