BATTLE GROUND, Wash. (KOIN) — A sophomore basketball player from Battle Ground has a bright future ahead of him supported by his number-one fan.
Kaden Perry plays varsity basketball for the Battle Ground Tigers.
Several Division 1 schools have already shown interest in the 6-foot-9 teen, including the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Gonzaga University and the University of Washington.
But it hasn’t always been easy to stay focused on the sport he loves so much.
Last year, just as Perry was starting high school, his mother with diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. It’s a condition that attacks the nerves and can lead to paralysis.
Perry’s mom lost the ability to move and even talk for months. While she underwent treatment away from home, Perry was trying to juggle school and basketball with visiting his mom on the weekends.
“I’ve always been a little bit of a momma’s boy and always loved her so going from like ‘oh hey, is there food ready’ to ‘hey mom, do you need me to go feed you’ — it’s just a huge difference,” Perry said. “I really feel like I’ve matured because of this, though.”
Perry said he loved training on the court but would “much rather know what’s going on with my mom.”
Despite the difficult situation, Perry managed to keep up with everything. His mom is now recovering and was able to watch him play earlier this season.
“A couple minutes into the first quarter and I just remember looking over there in the corner smiling and doing her little head nod at me and it was probably one of the best feelings I’ve had,” Perry said.