Jackson Free Press

Timothy Kendricks, 27, isn't your average college student. He battled a life-threatening disease and came out on top, and then he wrote a book about his struggles.

"I am a cancer survivor," Kendricks says. "My senior year of high school (at Wingfield High School)—a long time ago—I was diagnosed with Stage IV 
Wilms cancer."

Wilms cancer is a rare type of kidney cancer that develops in one or both kidneys. It typically affects children under age 5, although research is inconclusive as to why or how it develops. Although Kendricks developed the disease in his late teens, and not as a toddler, the disease did not permanently deter him from succeeding and achieving his goals. "I was one of the best (basketball) players, not just in the state, but nationally," he says. At the time of his diagnosis, several local and national colleges were trying to recruit Kendricks for his basketball skill, but after the cancer, the offers disappeared.

Kendricks feels like his experiences have made him a better, more mature person. "I feel like (the battle with cancer) taught me a lot," he says. "It showed me how to view life from a different perspective," he says. "I beat the cancer in a record breaking time, I can say, probably about in nine months."

Though he's lived elsewhere, Kendricks considers Jackson his home.

"I was born here in Jackson," he says. "Basically, I've been here all my life. I wouldn't say (I have lived) anywhere else. ... I love Jackson," he says.

Kendricks considers himself to be more of a "city guy," but he also enjoys Jackson's soul food and outdoor life, and feels that it is all part of Jackson's allure.

Currently, Kendricks is pursuing a graduate degree from Jackson State University in sports management. He graduated from JSU in 2013, where he received his bachelor's degree with a major in criminal justice and a minor in sociology.

A leader to the core, Kendricks is an active part of the Jackson State community. He volunteers and helps out with the flag football team. "I feel like my competitive nature and leadership (makes me an asset to Jackson). I enjoy being around in the community and what I'm doing now ... being out here helping with the flag football and being able to attend (games). I feel like my courage—being able to fight something and stand up to it—is a wonderful thing."

He just wrote a book called "The Battle Off the Court: A Survivor's Story" (Bar Publishing, 2014, $3.50), which is available on Kindle. "It's about my struggles and where I come from—me playing basketball and going through an illness that could have taken my life," he says.