04/16/2026
We have had inquiries, "WHO WAS THAT PERSON IN THE PAINTED JEANS who was helping models up on stage?" Kittie Hamersley is a 2023 YBSS model from Crosbyton who KICKED painful lung cancer! Kittie serves as the Baptist Church secretary and has the BIGGEST servant's heart! Let's shout for her victory and re-visit her story!
Kittie Hamersley was born and raised in Crosbyton. She lost her dad to lung cancer in February of 1982. Little did she know, 33 years later in April of 2015, she would be diagnosed with lung cancer, even though she has NEVER smoked. She had lost her voice approximately five months prior. Testing was done to determine why she had lost her voice. It was discovered that her vocal cord on the left side was paralyzed and so a CT scan was ordered to see if there was any type of tumor around her vocal cord, and amazingly there was not. The CT scan did reveal a small tumor in the bottom lobe of her right lung, which was a miracle to be found so early! A biopsy revealed that it was cancerous. It was contained in the lower lobe and so she chose to have the entire lobe removed.
On May 1, 2015 she had a thoracotomy, where a large incision was made on her back, the lobe was removed and also one of her ribs. Kittie says, “If you research a thoracotomy it is considered the most painful of surgical procedures and BELIEVE ME they are correct!!” Because she chose to have the entire lobe removed she never had to have chemo or radiation. She looks around at others who had to endure treatments before and afterwards and the toll it had on their bodies for years, and it left her with a sense of guilt, but also gratitude that she was spared.
From the beginning she says she was never afraid or nervous. She felt at peace and said that God blessed her so much during this whole journey by giving her a peace that passed all understanding and an attitude of gratitude.
The “voice thing” has never been resolved to this day and she often has extended times when she is hoarse, so she has learned to take it as a sign that she needs to take care of herself. She truly believes that God took away her voice so she would go to the doctor. After having no voice for months, the morning of her surgery her voice came back...That was God! Without surgery, the tumor would have grown and her surgeon said if she had waited until it grew large enough to show symptoms her prognosis would have not been good for treatment.
Kittie has been married to her high school sweetheart, Gary Hamersley for 49 1/2 years (updated). They have a daughter, Maggie and her husband, Kraig Van Hoose and a daughter, Megan. They have six amazing grandchildren, Boston Justus, Madelynn Van Hoose, Lucas Van Hoose, Michael Garcia, Emily Garcia, and Miles Garcia. They are her heartbeat!! Kittie is also truly blessed to still have her mother, Kathryn Foster. She loves the motto, “No matter what is going on…It’s going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day!!” That is how she tries to live life every day! Her favorite thing in the world is spending time with her family! Her favorite song of all time is “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash. Kittie says, “Once cancer happens it changes the way you live for the rest of your life and so I spend a lot of time with my family, especially the grands because I don’t want to miss a thing!” Her best advice is Forgive Yourself, Grow From It, and Let It Go!
