Camden Cooke – Cancer Survivor Supporter - Kay Yow Cancer Fund 2026

Camden Cooke – Cancer Survivor Supporter

• PUBLISH DATE: April 27, 2026
• TAGS: Breast Cancer, Cancer Survivor

Carrying the Fight Forward:

From his mother’s survival to his own action, Camden Cooke turned his family’s experience with cancer into something bigger—bringing Play4Kay and the Empowerment Tour to his school and community.

Camden Cooke was three years old when his mom, Katrina, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and given four months to live.

Fourteen years later, this May, she’ll see her youngest son, Camden, graduate high school—a moment that once felt out of reach, but one she always hoped to see.

Now a senior at Falls Lake Academy, Camden has spent most of his life watching his mom navigate cancer—not something distant, but something his family has lived through together.

“It’s always been there,” Camden said. “I don’t remember a time when it wasn’t part of our lives.”

Growing up, that meant learning what resilience looks like. It meant watching his mom go through treatments, setbacks, and uncertainty—while continuing to move forward. It meant understanding, in a very real way, how much time matters.

Over the years, Katrina became closely connected to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, sharing her experience and supporting others facing the same diagnosis.

Camden grew up watching that. And this year, he built on it.

For his senior capstone project, he hosted a Play4Kay basketball game at Falls Lake Academy—bringing his school community together around a cause that was bigger than the game.

He followed it with an Empowerment Tour event at his school—bringing conversations about cancer, prevention, and advocacy directly to more than 300 of his fellow students. For many, it was the first time they had thought about cancer in a personal way. Of course, Katrina was there to support it.

“I wanted people to understand why this matters,” Camden said. “This isn’t just something you hear about—it can affect your family like it does mine.”

That’s what continues to drive him. “Live to learn,” Camden said. “One voice can impact a lifetime full of positive decisions.”

Coach Yow often said, “When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.” For Camden and his family, that’s exactly what this has been. It’s not something they chose. But they have chosen to move forward through it—together. And in doing so, they are helping others see that this fight is personal and that what we do for each other matters.