Turner Cockrell was born and raised in Acworth, Georgia. Turner is the son of Randy and Noelle and an older brother of Parker and Katheryn. Turner was an amazing son, brother, teammate, and friend to all who met him. After a stellar prep career in both football and lacrosse, Turner committed to Vanderbilt University in order to continue his football and academic careers. Turner made friends all across campus and was beloved by all who had the chance to meet him. Unfortunately, during his sophomore year, he started to notice two lumps growing on his neck. It turned out that Turner had melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Turner underwent extensive surgery in December of 2017 to remove the cancerous lumps. He began radiation treatment on the first day of class the spring semester of his sophomore year. Despite a grueling regimen of radiation, Turner battled through and finished the semester without missing hardly any class. There was no doubting that he was a fighter.  Turner continued to live his life as free-willing and exuberant as ever. Sadly, in July, Turner underwent full body scans to make sure that the cancer had not recurred after his radiation treatment. The scans revealed that the cancer had spread to other portions of his body. Even with this setback, Turner was still determined to beat the illness. He underwent immunotherapy treatment at Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt and was selected to undergo an experimental TILs regimen at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Turner was able to travel to Houston and have his cancer-fighting T-cells harvested. Unfortunately, Turner never made it back to Houston to complete the trial. Turner's fight was unmatched and he never ceased to amaze all those around him with the smile he kept on his face throughout his entire ordeal. His positive attitude and general outlook on life lasted until his final days. Turner passed away on November 29, 2018, surrounded by his entire family. Turner's life was defined by his love for all and his ability to laugh and smile at every situation. He truly was an amazing son, brother, and friend. Turner's love for superheroes was unmatched. Whether it was comics, shows, or movies, Turner always had an interest and always knew more than the next person. Turner was a superhero throughout his fight and his life to those around him. I know that Turner would believe that every single child suffering from cancer is more of a superhero than he ever was. That is just the type of person that Turner was. He would be inspired by all those who are fighting cancer, and they truly would be Turner's heroes. We miss you everyday buddy, and we always will.

-Cody Markel, Founder of Turner's Heroes