Cancer is evil, more evil than you can imagine.

Most people know about that first-hand, having lost a family member or friend to the disease.

But out of the scorched earth of radiation and chemotherapy, a beautiful flower can sometimes grow.

Katie Wagner was one of those flowers.

The 17-year-old student at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem passed away on Tuesday (Sept. 17) after waging a two-year fight with cancer.

Covering sports teams from Boulder Creek since that time, I noticed students and athletes wearing T-shirts with her name on them to show support. That support was felt in the Anthem community and reached far beyond.

Most people thought she had this thing whipped, that the cancer had gone away, and it had. But it returned earlier this year and she decided not to endure the strain of treatment any longer.

I did not know Katie, but she seemed like a humble person. She enjoyed singing in the school choir. She took comfort in basking in the light of a higher power.

She taught all of us about strength and courage, more than any locker-room pep talk could ever do.

To get a more intimate view of Katie’s life, check out the video now being displayed on azentral.com. Channel 12 reporter Kevin Kennedy did a nice job with the tribute.