#ChadTough

When the Michigan captains walked to midfield Sept. 27 against Minnesota, they had a special honorary captain beside them. Chad Carr, grandson of legendary coach Lloyd Carr, has been diagnosed with an inoperable, malignant tumor on his brain stem. Doctors stated survival rates are low, but the Carrs and Chad continue to fight.

Tammi Carr, Chad's mother, had taken Chad to the emergency room following a concerning fall. Tammi and Jason, a former UM quarterback, thought their son had broken his nose. Doctors checked out Chad, saying they couldn't tell if his nose was broken or not and sent the family home.

That night, Tammi couldn't sleep, remembering Chad falling multiple times the past couple days. She remained concerned. The Carrs returned to the hospital the next day for further testing, but no results were turning up. Then, one doctor suggested an MRI. That's when they found the inoperable brain tumor. Chad had to spend his fourth birthday in the Coach Carr Unit of Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor so doctors could monitor Chad properly.

Since serving as a Michigan captain with the big boys, Chad has begun six weeks of radiation to shrink his tumor. Following the treatment, doctors will determine what's the best course of action.

Tammi has raised awareness for Chad's fight on social media using the hashtag #ChadTough. Former alumni and players have shown support, including Denard Robinson, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter and Charles Woodson. Current players have visited Chad in the hospital and the Detroit Tigers wore #ChadTough bracelets to support Chad. Others within the sports world have shown support as well.

The #ChadTough bracelets (orange because it's Chad's favorite color) are part of a fund the Carrs set up to benefit pediatric cancer research. They have raised morew than $75,000 through selling the $3 bracelets and donations. People can purchase #ChadTough bracelets at M Den and donate here.