“I want to be an advocate and source of encouragement to the tens of thousands of young adults diagnosed with cancer every year in this country.” These were Katie Campbell’s words in a speech she gave in June 2016, about two months before she died of stage IV, triple-negative breast cancer at age 33. By all accounts, she accomplished this remarkable goal. Throughout her ordeal, she was open and honest about her diagnosis and treatment, and invited friends and strangers alike to listen in as she processed the reality of life with cancer.
Some of the key aspects of her advocacy include her blog, “Katie Crushes Cancer,” where she detailed the roller coaster she was on in her very own forthright and eloquent way. Katie also supported First Descents, an organization for young adult cancer fighters and survivors like herself. And as she faced a recurrence of her cancer, she wrote a book called “The Courage Club: A Radical Guide for Audaciously Living Beyond Cancer.” Speaking to the theme of the book, Katie said, “Crisis can burn us out, break us down, traumatize us and leave us feeling deflated. But crisis also makes us more resilient, breaks us open and leaves us ready for the kind of deep healing that courageous living requires.”
Katie was fiercely determined to help others, which was just an extension of her giving nature. “She didn’t get inspired and involved,” says her friend Kate Dixon. “She just was an inspired and involved person. Her cancer simply allowed it to shine through in a new way.”
