Sad Day

I recently learned that the inspiring young man whose book I reviewed a few weeks ago called, Don’t Tell Me I Can’t: An Ambitious Homeschooler’s Journey, died in a kayak boating accident a few days ago. His book was an inspiration to me and my kids.

At 14 years of age, he had written two books, was working on a third, had renovated and flipped a home, and started several businesses. In his book, he encouraged children to self-educate and follow their interests.

He wrote under the pseudonym Cole Summers, but his real name was Kevin Cooper. He and his 17-year-old brother were at a birthday party at a park near a reservoir. They took some kayaks out on the reservoir and were racing them. When Kevin tried to turn around, he fell out of his kayak in about 12 feet of water. Unfortunately, Kevin did not know how to swim and was not wearing a life jacket. Kevin went underwater and did not resurface. A dive team had to pull his body out of the water.

Kevin’s dad has taken over his Twitter account and has been giving updates. If you enjoyed his book or my review of it, consider giving to the family’s GoFundMe campaign to help his family out during this difficult time. His family said Kevin was the rock of their family. His father and mother are both disabled, and his brother is autistic. Kevin had hoped to be able to support his autistic brother someday.

For me, it is a reminder of how fragile life is, and how it can change in an instant. Hold those you love close.