Friends and family members are trying to ensure that a Carrollton High School football player’s legacy lives on six months after he died of cancer.
Loved ones of the late Chase McDaniel gathered Saturday to commemorate what would have been his 18th birthday. Many attendees wore McDaniel’s No. 42 jersey for a drive-by parade and balloon release, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The program was organized by Chase the Victory, a foundation created by the teen's parents in his memory. The goal is to provide resources and hope to families with a child diagnosed with cancer, according to its website.
“While Chase was fighting cancer, he continued to live life full of joy sharing hope, spreading kindness and inspiring people with his big smile and loving heart,” it said.
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McDaniel was diagnosed with Stage 3 lymphoma in April 2019. The news came the day of the prom. However, that didn’t stop McDaniel from taking his date to the school event that night.
He said he didn’t want to disappoint her.
That act of goodwill garnered him statewide attention, including gifts and meetings with elite athletes. Former NBA star Dwyane Wade sent the student a care package and a message, saying “My belief is stronger than your doubt.”
MORE: Dwyane Wade sends care package to Georgia high school student fighting cancer
Credit: WSB-TV Photo: WSB-TV
Credit: WSB-TV Photo: WSB-TV
RELATED: Georgia teen doesn't let cancer diagnosis stop him from attending prom
In September 2019, the high school linebacker met Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, Channel 2 reported.
It was at that dinner that he began feeling ill, his mother Kiki McDaniel told the news station.
On Sept. 17, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. He died two months later.
“Chase touched so many people in our community with his spirit and strength,” the Carrollton High athletic department said on social media at the time. “Our hearts are with the McDaniel family today and in the days ahead.”
Kiki McDaniel said the football team rallied around her son as he was undergoing chemotherapy.
“It’s been really amazing to watch the way our entire Carrollton Trojan Nation has just been there for us and our family,” Kiki said. “It’s been amazing.”
The team named Chase a co-captain, and he was able to take part in coin tosses last season. Each game, a teammate wore a jersey sporting his number, and the team’s motto for the season was: “We do it for Chase.”
Chase the Victory, which was created in April, aims to further celebrate the teen’s memory by helping to spread kindness to “families walking through adversity, families grieving the loss of a child and anyone who needs to hear the message of hope,” the organization’s website said.
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