Routine procedure led to cancer diagnosis

When Kayla Underwood arrived at IU Health West in January for a scheduled procedure, she was in so much pain she ended up in the emergency room. She had been having some spells of feeling faint, but at 28, she had been relatively healthy most of her life.

Bloodwork resulted in a diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The blood cancer affects the bone marrow, where immature white blood cells multiply. Underwood came to IU Health Simon Cancer Center where she is in the care of Dr. Rita Assi, who specializes in hematology. Since January 17, 2025, Underwood has undergone chemotherapy and antibiotics to fight infection.

And during her hospital stay, Underwood and her mother, Sara Underwood, have focused on caring for their care team.

The middle child of Tim and Sara Underwood, Kayla has a reputation as a “natural caregiver,” said her mom. A graduate of Plainfield High School, Kayla was active in track and field and volleyball. She went on to study health science at IU Indianapolis and earned certification in rehabilitation and disabilities. She was active in her sorority and is the proud dog mom to “Winston,” and Aussie Doodle.

She has pursued her career working with children who have autism.

“Kayla has always been the one who cheers everyone else up so it’s hard for her to show sadness. When people come to visit her, she’s the one showing caring and compassion,” said her mom. “When she made friends, it wasn’t just the friend but the whole family who loved Kayla.”

Since her diagnosis, Kayla has been flooded with support from members of her church, St. Susanna Catholic Church, her neighbors, and other family members and friends.

“We were getting so many care baskets that when people asked what they could do, we asked them to provide food for the staff at IU Health Simon Cancer Center,” said her mom. In addition to stocking the family room with food and paper supplies, some friends have provided meals and chocolates for the staff.

“Everyone has been fantastic – from the nurses to the dietician, to the social worker, to the people who clean our room,” said her mom.

• By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org