“Kathi has been reading your Facebook posts today and is overwhelmed by your outpouring of love and prayers!” reads a new post on the Facebook page of KOMO anchor Kathi Goertzen, who underwent brain surgery on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Goertzen set up a Facebook page to keep Seattle viewers updated on her progress as she continued her 11-year battle with a benign brain tumor. As of Friday morning, over 52,000 people have connected with her on Facebook, offering their thoughts and prayers.
Goertzen is currently recovering from a 10-hour procedure to remove parts of the tumor that had been affecting her facial nerve, causing her to lose control of much of her face.
While Goertzen is now speaking and in good spirits, the outcome of the surgery was not entirely positive. According to KOMO, doctors were unable to save the facial nerve and they believe that the cancer cells will likely grow back.
“Everyone in the newsroom expected Kathi would receive a lot of support, but we never imagined tens of thousands of people in just a few days,” the ABC-affiliate said on Thursday. “It has been truly amazing and shows the power of social media to unite a community.”
Besides receiving support via social media, Goertzen has also received video messages from Washington Governor Christine Gregoire as well as Dr. Oz…