From cancer treatment to Omaha: Young Tar Heels fan lives his dream
By Noah Sacco
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OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — “The heart of this team for kids is amazing,” Joshua Hill said.
For 6-year-old David Hill, North Carolina baseball has been a special bond.
“Being near my guys is like, really cool,” North Carolina honorary team member David Hill said.
“It has given us time to spend together in a time where we were going through something that no family should ever have to deal with,” David’s father Joshua Hill said.
At the age of three, David’s normal life took a turn — as the kid full of energy was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
“March 27th, it was 9:34, I remember exactly what time it was,” Joshua Hill said.
With implanted ports and chemotherapy, the next two years were a blur for David. But thanks to a connection between UNC Children’s Hospital and the Tar Heels, he wasn’t fighting alone.
“It was a hard time for me. But when the guys came in and started cheering me up, I felt like nothing happened,” David Hill said.
Then, after his 5th birthday, Team Impact stepped up to the plate, naming David as the Tar Heels’ honorary team member nearly halfway into the 2025 season.
“He started going to the games and started hanging out with them when they were doing events and stuff like that,” Joshua Hill said.
From the dugout to team dinners, the Tar Heels have since treated David as one of their own. The program then made sure they were at the hospital in August of 2025, when David ended 2 1/2 years of leukemia treatment — ringing the bell as he entered remission.
“They were clapping and hooting and hollering like he had just won the World Series himself,” Joshua Hill said.
North Carolina defeated West Virginia 12-7 on June 17 and punched its ticket to the College World Series Championship Series. Three days later, David reunited with the team in Omaha.
“Carolina baseball changes lives,” North Carolina freshman pitcher Caden Glauber said. “We’re so happy that he’s coming, we all love him, that’s just awesome to hear he’s gonna be able to make the trip.”
“So many people look up to us, and we also have to take that into consideration, and that just gives us more fuel to the fire of winning this thing,” North Carolina sophomore pitcher Walker McDuffie said.
David and his dad will sit behind home plate for the championship series, and regardless of how the Tar Heels finish, they’ve gained a fan for life.
“They’ve supported me this whole time. This is the best part of my life, and I’m happy that my baseball guys are having fun too,” David Hill said.
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