Local High School Senior Raises Funds for Cancer Patient Support

Goochland High School senior Kyranna Stratiou used her senior project to turn a personal family experience into community action. On December 11, 2025 she ran outreach tables, distributed informational resources and worked school events to raise awareness about cancer screenings, genetic testing, and the importance of early detection. The effort raised more than $1,400 for The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation and Pink Chair Project RVA.

Stratiou said her work was inspired by her mother’s cancer journey, and she focused on both education and direct support. The funds raised will be used by partner organizations to provide practical assistance for patients including gas cards to cover transportation to treatment, comfort items that ease the hospital experience, and recovery support that addresses day to day needs not covered by medical insurance. Those kinds of services are often the difference between a patient getting care on schedule and missing appointments because of cost or logistics.

The project highlights how local fundraising can address gaps in the health safety net. Costs associated with treatment go beyond medical bills. Transportation, childcare, and basic household needs can create financial strain and reduce access to care. By channeling contributions to targeted assistance, small local efforts can produce outsized benefits for families in Goochland County who face those burdens.

Stratiou’s outreach also had an educational goal. Bringing information on genetic testing and early detection into a high school setting leverages students as community messengers and may increase awareness among young adults who influence family health decisions. The project underscores a broader trend of youth civic engagement in public health and shows how schools can serve as platforms for prevention and resource connection.

For Goochland residents the immediate impact is tangible assistance for neighbors coping with cancer, and the longer term payoff is greater community awareness about screening and early intervention. Stratiou’s project provides a model for how local volunteerism and modest fundraising can directly alleviate economic and practical barriers to care in our county.