ROANOKE, Va. – Months after the death of 17-year-old Camden Thepsimuong, his parents say the community support around their family hasn’t faded — and neither has their son’s impact. Now, they’re working to continue his legacy through a scholarship to Cam’s favorite church camp.
Cam was a William Byrd High School student who died from bone cancer just before Christmas. But the people closest to him say cancer was never the headline of his life.
Instead, they describe a teenager known for his faith, his steadiness, and the way he handled a diagnosis most adults would struggle to face.
A memorial built rock by rock
One of the most visible reminders of Cam’s legacy is a garden filled with roughly 5,000 hand-painted rocks. Each rock is decorated with a message, image, or symbol representing something Cam loved — and together they’ve become a space where family, friends, and community members can remember him…