In the fight for a DIPG/DMG cure, we help patients and families by funding game-changing research and providing navigation throughout their journey. Powered by parents who have faced a childhood brain cancer diagnosis, many of whom have lost a child, and guided by a Scientific Advisory Council made up of the leading experts in the field, the foundation ensures every dollar possible funds the most promising research anywhere in the world. The foundation was inspired by Chad Carr, son of co-founders Tammi and Jason Carr, and Michael Mosier, son of co-founders Jenny and Mark Mosier. Both boys passed away from DIPG in 2015.
ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation believes a collaborative approach is the only way a cure will be found. It therefore welcomes the help of other families who want to join in funding childhood brain cancer research (with an emphasis on DIPG/DMG) in honor of their own children through the foundation’s Family Partner and Research Partner programs.This shared passion helps amplify our efforts in finding a cure and we are so grateful for our partnership with the DEKM Fund!
“The founders of the DEKM Fund saw the need to step in and help work towards a goal of finding a cure for DIPG, which although considered rare, accounts for over 50 percent of childhood brain cancer deaths annually. In gratitude for the health of their daughter Kate, a pediatric leukemia survivor, the Morris’ have committed themselves to helping us to change the future of DIPG. Evelyn Morris understands that years ago, Leukemia had a similar survival rate to DIPG. Our mutual goal is that one day in the not too far future, the survival rates of DIPG will look more like the survival rates of Leukemia today. We truly believe that we are stronger when we work together, and we are so grateful that the DEKM has chosen to work with the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation to change the future for the kids who will come next.” – Tammi Carr, Co-founder of the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation
Our Story
In September 2014, two families 500 miles apart were hit with the most devastating news imaginable. Both families had a son diagnosed with the deadliest form of childhood brain cancer and given just 9 months to live. Tammi and Jason Carr, in Michigan, and Jenny and Mark Mosier, in Maryland, began a journey through the darkest days of their lives. By the end of the following year, the families had endured the inevitable heartbreaking loss of their sons, Chad Carr, age 5, and Michael Mosier, age 6, to diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
The Carrs and Mosiers share a passion for honoring their sons by changing the outlook for future families forced to face the horror of DIPG. Both families established foundations to find a cure for DIPG. In 2021, those foundations united to form the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, becoming the leading force to defeat DIPG.
The Carrs and Mosiers are now joined by a growing, international team of passionate Family Partners who are committed to changing the outcome for future families facing DIPG/DMG, in honor of their children.
While the survival rate for DIPG is still nearly 0%, doctors now believe a cure for DIPG is within reach. The foundation will continue to be a part of this fight until DIPG is no longer a death sentence.
About Chad Carr
Chad Carr was a precious, beautiful, fun-loving boy who — on September 23, 2014 — was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Three days later, he spent his 4th birthday in the Coach Carr Unit of Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Coach Carr Unit is named after Chad’s grandfather, former University of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr.
Chad would undergo 30 rounds of radiation at Mott and then participate in a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He bravely fought for 14 months before gaining his angel wings on November 23, 2015.
Numerous stories were written about Chad, including articles from Today and ABC News. Chad even got his own superhero theme song thanks to his friends Ariel, Zoey, & Eli. All of this has brought much-needed awareness to this devastating disease.
It is important for us to remember Chad and why he was special because it pushes us to continue fighting in his honor.
A family friend came up with the slogan #ChadTough as a way for people to show support for Chad. Word of Chad’s fight spread quickly and continues to this day as the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation.
About Michael Mosier
On September 4, 2014, Michael was diagnosed with DIPG. An active, energetic little boy with a thirst for learning, Michael had a huge smile that would light up a room. He was the special kind of kid who equally enjoyed baseball and art projects, playing in the mud and doing puzzles, and playing with his little sister, Lila. And, from birth, he loved the color yellow.
A week after Michael’s 6th birthday and his 1st day of kindergarten, Michael suddenly began complaining of double vision, and his right eye stopped moving and blinking normally. An MRI brought the tragic news that Michael had a tumor in his brainstem. While we hoped Michael had a more treatable tumor, a biopsy ultimately confirmed that Michael had DIPG: “Terminal upon diagnosis,” “Zero survival,” “No effective treatments,” and “No cure.” Less than two weeks earlier, Michael had been jumping off the diving board and swimming. He had just been bouncing across the trampolines with his friends and family at Sky Zone for his 6th birthday. It literally did not seem possible that this was happening to our little boy.
During Michael’s illness, he inspired countless people to dig deep, overcome obstacles, and live life to the fullest. His efforts raised over $119,000 for pediatric brain tumor research for the Race for Hope – DC, and his Team Big Hero Michael was recognized as the top fundraising team for the event. Michael was able to generate donations from people in all 50 states and in over 60 countries across the world, showing that even a 6-year-old boy can make a big impact. Domestic and international news outlets told Michael’s story, including Huffington Post, Headline News, and the Daily Mirror.
Michael passed away on May 17, 2015, after a heroic battle, and he is remembered and missed greatly each and every day.
Our Research Brings Hope
The ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation has awarded millions of dollars in grants to fund promising pediatric brain cancer research across the globe.
We offer several types of grants, intended to incentivize novel approaches and spark innovation to find a cure for the deadliest childhood brain cancer, DIPG. It is no easy task. But we are confident that by working together with the passionate doctors and researchers focused on making progress on this disease, children with DIPG will finally be able to look forward to a bright future.
The ChadTough Defeat DIPG research program is guided by a Scientific Advisory Council made up of the leading experts in the field. The Council reviews grant applications and makes recommendations to ensure that the foundation uses its resources to fund the most promising DIPG research projects.
Our Nurses Bring Help
In 2022, the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation launched a nationwide program called My DIPG Navigator, designed to give much needed, FREE, individualized guidance for patients and their families facing a childhood brain cancer diagnosis, specifically DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) or DMG (diffuse midline glioma).
Working through the shock of the diagnosis and prognosis, patients and their families often find themselves alone in navigating treatment plans and managing side effects. They must quickly make important decisions that will impact the patient’s care, and they often struggle to find the help they need. Additionally, systemic healthcare inequities, often linked to racial and socioeconomic factors, can impact the ability to access information and navigate a DIPG/DMG diagnosis, particularly in finding highly sought-after clinical trials.
My DIPG Navigator, led by dedicated nurses with years of experience in pediatric oncology, empowers patients and their families with the proper information and resources necessary to make the most-informed decisions throughout their cancer journey. This service is completely free for any family able to be treated in the United States.
“ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation has and will continue to fund incredible research that we know will one day lead to a cure,” said co-founder Jason Carr, who lost his son Chad to DIPG in 2015. “But for me, being able to help make a difference, right now, is so meaningful. We are giving people the guidance that we didn’t have to make important decisions, and that is really game changing.”
In the relentless pursuit of a cure for DIPG and DMG, the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation stands as a beacon of hope and determination. Rooted in the heartbreaking loss of Chad Carr and Michael Mosier, the foundation unites families, researchers, and medical experts in a collaborative effort to transform the prognosis of this devastating disease. Through substantial funding of innovative research, coupled with compassionate support programs like My DIPG Navigator, the foundation ensures that no family faces this journey alone.
