Markey ACTION students give voice to Appalachian cancer crisis in latest book

Article | Elizabeth Chapin (Public Relations and Strategic Communications) | Sep 15, 2025

The new book by students in Markey’s ACTION program shares their perspectives on Appalachia’s cancer crisis through fictional stories and poems.

With new students and new stories, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s ACTION program has published the latest edition of its book, “Cancer in Appalachia: A Collection of Youth-told Stories, Volume Two.” The collection features fictional short stories and poems by high school and undergraduate students from Appalachian Kentucky who participate in Markey’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program.

For more than 50 years, Appalachian Kentucky has consistently ranked among the highest in the nation for cancer incidence and mortality rates. Cancer is not unfamiliar in the rural communities across Kentucky, yet each person’s journey through it is deeply individual.

The entries in the book provide a perspective on cancer that we don’t often see. They incorporate health behaviors and social determinants of health that contribute to the region’s high cancer rates.

“We too often see cancer shown in statistics and data and leave the personal and emotional impacts of cancer out,” said Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., director of the ACTION program and the book’s co-editor. “We want readers to connect with the stories, so they feel more motivated to become educated on cancer risk factors and cancer prevention and control strategies in their communities.”

This is why collections like this one are so meaningful. Through ACTION, students share stories that highlight both personal and community-level experiences of how cancer impacts Appalachian Kentucky. These projects allow high school and undergraduate students to strengthen valuable research and writing skills while also learning how to engage with and support their communities.

Student authors are:

Sophia Beaudoin, Wayne County
Natalie Brooks, Wolfe County
Caylee Caudill, Johnson County
Eryka Criswell, Wayne County
Ethan Dennison, Wolfe County
Madeline (Maddie) Duff, Floyd County
Hayley Gavlinski, Morgan County
Tessa Goble, Carter County
Tyler Guffey, Clinton County
Hannah Hamric, Elliott County
Rachel Henderson, Green County
Kameron Jackson, Green County
Griffin James, Carter County
Lydia Grace McDougal, Letcher County
Cheyanne Montgomery, Cumberland County
Isabelle Pace, Leslie County
Camari Parker, Elliott County
Bailey Reeves, Montgomery County
Matthew Sanders, Laurel County
Rebecca Spradlin, Johnson County
Jaycee Stevens, Boyd County
Amara Renee Thacker, Monroe County
Olivia Thornsbury, Pike County
Addison Tiller, Carter County
Carolene Willhoite, Montgomery County

Although titled Volume Two, this is the fourth book published by the ACTION program. All the books are available for purchase through Butler Books and Amazon. The book will also be featured at the Kentucky Book Festival at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Nov. 1, where it and previous titles will be available for purchase. Proceeds from book sales directly support ACTION and its mission to train the next generation of leaders who will address Appalachia’s cancer burden.

On Nov. 7 from 1-3 p.m., a book panel event in the Great Hall at UK’s Special Collections Research Center will feature four student authors — Caylee Caudill, Tessa Goble, Kameron Jackson and Matthew Sanders — who will read sections of their stories and answer questions. UK students, faculty and staff along with community members are welcome to attend this free event to learn about the students’ perspectives on the cancer crisis in Appalachian Kentucky and about their writing process.