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Published: February 7, 2008
TALLAHASSEE - Two or three days a week, North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow visits the clinic where she receives treatment for stage IV breast cancer.
Her stays last about an hour. Before she leaves, Yow makes sure to walk around and say hello to the other patients fighting the same life-threatening disease she has battled on and off since first being diagnosed in 1987.
"It just gives me an opportunity to talk to them and hear about their circumstances," Yow, 65, said during a conference call Wednesday, shortly after her treatment. "We all know our situations. I try to encourage each person there. I also leave there so motivated to do more."
Yow's story attracted national attention nearly a year ago when the Wolfpack advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament while Yow suffered the brutal effects of chemotherapy during her third bout with breast cancer. Yow missed the first 16 games of the season, but her return in January sparked the unexpected tournament run.
Yow's courageous battle has inspired others to increase their efforts to fight cancer, including the Jimmy V Foundation, which is named after Jim Valvano, Yow's former colleague at N.C. State. Valvano died of cancer in 1993, but with the help of the foundation named in his honor, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is conducting the Think Pink initiative this month.
"Jim and I coached together for 10 years," said Yow, in her 33rd season at N.C. State. "We both had a passion for basketball. He knew a lot about women's basketball. He knew where the teams were ranked and where they stood. He would be saddened to learn that my cancer has returned, but he would be happy to know we're on the same team again fighting for a common cause."
Florida State hopes to raise $10,000 through ticket sales, a silent auction and a Shots For A Cure fundraiser when Yow's team visits the Seminoles tonight. As part of the Think Pink campaign, FSU players will wear some form of pink, as will many schools across the nation this week in support of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.
"Coach Yow resonates with everyone because of her fight with cancer and what she represents," said Beth Bass, head of the WBCA.
Yow recently stopped chemotherapy treatments, opting for hormonal therapy that causes fewer side effects and allows her to have more energy during the season. The outpouring of support from others to raise money for cancer research lifts her spirits during her fight with the disease.
"It's a very important initiative," Yow said. "Due to research, all these drugs in the '90s and 2000s were created. A lot of these drugs are what I'm using now to extend my life. I mean, research is critical."
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