Michigan and Ohio State Basketball Staffs Set Aside Rivalry for Terminally-Ill Child
Christmas came early this year for five-year-old Chad Carr.
— -- Some things transcend athletic rivalries. Chad Carr, 5, is dying from brain cancer. Chad's father is a former quarterback for the University of Michigan. His grandfathers are Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis, former Michigan greats. When the basketball coaching staffs for Ohio State University and Michigan University found out that Chad was entering hospice care, they cast aside their rivalry to decorate the Carrs’ house for Christmas.
And they didn’t just throw a wreath on the door and call it a day. OSU Head Coach Thad Matta and Michigan Head Coach John Beilein hired professionals to deck the halls for the Carr family.
Chad's parents, Tammi and Jason Carr, don’t know if their son will make it to Christmas, so the family has decided to celebrate now.
“He thinks today is Christmas Eve with all the lights, and Santa is coming tomorrow,” said Tammi. “We’ve been making cookies today, doing crafts and watching Christmas movies all day. He’s so excited.”
Chad was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, in September 2014. The brain cancer only affects about 300 kids in the United States each year. The family has started a foundation in Chad’s honor called Chad Tough, which raises money for research for pediatric brain cancers.
Tammi said the support her family has received from everyone "is beyond words." But it speaks volumes that her son's illness brought college rivals together, she said.
“We’re a Michigan family, but it’s so much bigger than a rivalry," she said.