Yellowknife woman bakes thank-you cakes after community rallies for her

After receiving months of support from people across Yellowknife following a traumatic brain injury, Camille Browder is baking cakes to say thank you.

The longtime Yellowknife resident recently handed out homemade pound cakes to three people she says have gone above and beyond to help her through a difficult year: Jordan Crosby of Overlander Sports, Kyle Evans of Yellowknife Motors and Keneisha Buddoo.

Browder moved to Yellowknife in 2010 and says it is the longest she has lived in one place during her adult life. She is a familiar face at the Yellowknife Farmers Market, where she used to sell macaroni and cheese.

“I wish I could make a pan of macaroni and cheese for everybody in town, to thank everyone,” she told Cabin Radio.

Browder says the community has always been a big part of why she has stayed in Yellowknife – “I’ve always loved it” – and that community became especially important after a series of health challenges left her unable to work or drive.

In April, Browder blacked out while walking her dogs, Gravy and Uhura, and hit her head on a pointed piece of granite.

She suffered a traumatic brain injury and later developed post-concussion syndrome, leaving her with balance problems, anxiety and sensitivity to light and sound. She now uses a cane and says she struggles sometimes to focus on tasks for more than a few minutes.

Friends and neighbours stepped in to help. Community members walked Uhura, cleaned up Browder’s yard, mowed her lawn, brought her food, drove her to appointments and helped her get groceries. 

Local businesses also offered support. 

When Browder started a GoFundMe to help with the cost of getting out of a vehicle lease, people and businesses donated, including people she had never met.

At Yellowknife Motors, Evans helped her navigate the process of returning her truck. Browder says he also advocated for her when her vehicle insurance claim was denied. 

At Overlander Sports, Crosby discounted a motorized tricycle she hopes will help with her rehabilitation while allowing her to exercise Uhura. The trike is being fitted with studded tires for the winter.

Yellowknife Books saw Browder’s GoFundMe and donated a calendar book in large print that she is able to read and follow post-injury.

Buddoo regularly checked in on Browder and helped organize community members to assist around her home. 

Browder says the support left her “speechless.”

“Gratitude is an understatement for how I feel about everybody that contributed,” she said. “I can’t thank people enough.”

The cakes are her way of returning some of that kindness. She says she hopes to eventually return to work and, one day, make enough food to share with everyone who helped her. 

She says the experience has only reinforced why she has stayed in Yellowknife for so long. 

“The people here are like no other I have ever experienced,” she said. “They’d have to run me out of town, and then I’d sneak back.”