It has been nearly five years since BYU student Kristin Sumbot was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia.

At 17 Sumbot found out she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia and underwent more than 800 days of radiation and chemotherapy to get rid of and keep the aggressive cancer from coming back.

Now married and living in Provo, Sumbot is preparing to take the journey of a lifetime. Sumbot and her mother, Leslie Katich, are leaving Sept. 22 to take a two-week trip to the Himalayas, where they will visit Tibet, Nepal, Kathmandu and hike around the sacred Mount Kailash.

The trip is put on by Above and Beyond Cancer, a nonprofit organization with the goal of reducing the burden of cancer by bringing cancer survivors and caregivers together and promoting policies and programs that will help prevent cancer and improve the outcomes of those diagnosed with cancer.

"The whole point of the trip is to show there is life after cancer, you can still live after you have been so close to death," Sumbot said. "It is so cool to be going across the world and to be around other people that have gone through what you have gone through and to just experience these amazing things."

Sumbot chose to take her mom on her trip with her because she said her mom was always by her side during her battle with cancer.

Katich said both of them had to send in applications for the trip, including details about Sumbot's battle with cancer, the treatment she underwent and how both of them are now working to reduce the burden of cancer in their communities.

Sumbot and Katich were chosen as two of 31 people out of nearly 1,500 applicants.

"It is just a once in a lifetime amazing experience that we are looking forward to," Katich said. "I couldn't think of a better person to climb the mountain with than Kristin. She has faced indescribable mountains with her diagnosis and treatment, and to be able to climb that mountain together is just incredible."

For Sumbot the trip is about more than raising awareness about cancer and showing there is life after cancer. She is raising money to bring life-saving radiation treatment to developing countries. Sumbot is being sponsored by Radiating Hope, a Utah-based nonprofit organization that works to bring the technology needed to fight cancer to countries in need.

"To control cancer like we do in America, where there is around a 70 percent cure rate, you need one radiation machine for every 100,000 people, but in places like Ethiopia there is one for 7 million people, so the ability to control cancer is just not there," said Brandon Fisher, Founder of Radiating Hope. "Cancer is the biggest killer in developing countries. It is one of those things that have gone under the radar."

Fisher said he recommended that Sumbot apply for the trip because of how well she is doing despite battling cancer for nearly three years.

"She is going to do really well and live a good, full life and from talking to her she is just really happy," Fisher said.

In addition to making the trip Sumbot and Katich will both be carrying Tibetan prayer flags with them in honor of others who have battled cancer.

"There are these really cool flags in a whole bunch of different colors and I am taking them up in honor of somebody," Sumbot said. "People that might want to honor someone that has been affected by cancer or is in the fight or who has passed away can buy a flag and I will be taking them around the mountain so they can have the experience too."

Katich works with the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer foundation, which gives financial support to families with children who have cancer. She said that by carrying the prayer flags she will be taking a little piece of all the cancer patients she serves daily up the mountain with her.

"I love what I do and it is great that I get to travel halfway around the world and do it over there, especially with Kristin," Katich said.

The pair will be hiking with the rest of the group around the base of Mount Kailash in Nepal. Because of religious beliefs of those in the area hikers aren't allowed to summit the mountain but Sumbot said she is still looking forward to being in such a sacred place.

"The mountain we are hiking around is the center of the universe for the Buddhist and Hindu and Shaman religions, it is one of the most sacred places in the world," Sumbot said. "They say when you hike around it you have been reborn, that you are a completely different person."

Once Sumbot begins her trip people will be able to track their flags around the world via GPS. Fisher said after her trip Sumbot will bring the flags back and other hikers will take those flags to the base camp at Mount Everest where they will stay forever.

"The flags are kind of unique. They are small and built very loosely. The thought is when the high mountain winds hit them a thread will come loose and each thread represents a prayer of hope and well being for the person whose name is on that flag," Fisher said.

To learn more about the upcoming trip, to donate to Radiating Hope in Sumbot's name or to have a prayer flag sent with Sumbot on her trip visit www.radiatinghope.org. for more information about Above and Beyond Cancer visit aboveandbeyondcancer.org.