Pittsburgher of the Year
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It's nothing even close to being named FTVLive's person of the year, but WTAE Anchor Kelly Frey is the boast of the Burgh.
Pittsburgh Magazine named Frey the Pittsburgher of the Year on Thursday, citing how she raised awareness about breast cancer by sharing her own yearlong fight on the air and social media.
As FTVLive told you back in March, Frey has been battling breast cancer and has been very public about her fight.
Frey has shared different parts of her treatment and personal life, particularly through her official WTAE Facebook account.
In the magazine profile, Frey said she stayed on the air and shared her journey for a sense of normalcy and continuity, despite nausea, headaches and other side effects of her treatment.
"Just getting up, getting dressed, no matter how bad I felt in the morning, getting a cup of coffee, getting that shower, putting my makeup on and going in to work, even on the worst days, always makes me feel better," she told the magazine. "If I didn't have that, I probably would have laid around in bed more. I probably might not have been as upbeat."
This fall, she had the lump surgically removed. On Nov. 22, she shared an emotional live video from the hospital marking her 23rd and final radiation session, when she thanked the medical staff, displayed a certificate and rang a bell marked to celebrate patients completing their treatment.
"For everybody that's ever had to ring this bell because you've gone through radiation treatment, this one is for you," she said, choking up before cheering and jangling the bell.
