ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Supporters across the country came together to raise $30 million to establish the Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center at the University of Michigan.
The announcement was made Saturday night by Michigan Medicine and The ChadTough Foundation at the annual Champions for Change Gala.
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Chad Carr, a grandson of former University of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr, died in 2015, 14 months after being diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), among the most aggressive and lethal types of brain tumors.
More than 90 percent of children diagnosed with DIPG die within 18 months of diagnosis.
"We want to see a day when no family will ever have to suffer this kind of heartbreak," said Chad’s mother, Tammi Carr. "We believe that the work happening in Chad’s name at the University of Michigan Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center will change the future for other children. This is Chad’s legacy."
Brain tumors are the No. 1 cause of death from childhood cancer. DIPG stems from the region of the brain that controls vital functions such as breathing and heart rate. Research proves that chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are not effective against DIPG.
Only 4 percent of federal funding for cancer research is allocated to pediatric cancers, so donations are mandatory for research to occur. Donations to the University of Michigan's brain tumor research can be made here.
"The Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center will leverage the breadth and depth of expertise across the university to fuel innovative research and deliver new therapies for children with brain cancer," said Marschall Runge, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Michigan. "This incredible collaboration brings together a renowned team of doctors and scientists at Michigan who will pool knowledge and break traditional boundaries to drive advances in research and treatment for pediatric brain cancer."
Click here to learn more about the Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center.