Losing Family Member to Cancer, CJ Carr’s Mother Breaks Silence on Notre Dame QB’s Big Act to Help America

For Notre Dame QB CJ Carr, losing his younger brother Chad to pediatric brain cancer at just five was devastating. The family turned that grief into action, founding the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation to support research and families in need. CJ has stayed committed to honoring Chad’s legacy, and now, with his story featured in Here Comes the Irish, his mother, Tammi Carr, couldn’t be prouder.

“Hope you all watch this week’s episode! We are so proud of all that CJ is accomplishing at ND,” Tammi wrote on her X with the episode’s announcement. “But we are even more proud of who he is as a person and that he always takes Chad with him whenever he goes. Continuing Chad’s mission until a cure is found. @chadtough.”

Hope you all watch this week’s episode! We are so proud of all that CJ is accomplishing at ND. But we are even more proud of who he is as a person and that he always takes Chad with him whenever he goes. Continuing Chad’s mission until a cure is found. @chadtough https://t.co/VdrzsjfSvS

— Tammi Carr (@tamcarr21) January 14, 2026

The ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation’s main mission is to fund “game-changing” research for DIPG and Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG). When the foundation started in 2014, treatment for DIPG had barely moved in decades, leaving families with little beyond radiation.

The foundation was born out of the heartbreak of the Carr and Mosier families. The Mosier family lost their son, Michael, to the same disease. Since then, it has funded over $36 million in research across 40+ institutions worldwide. CJ Carr has been a tireless advocate, spreading the word and making sure people know it’s for a good cause. On Giving Tuesday (December 3), CJ took to X with a plea.

“Today on Giving Tuesday, join me in honoring my brother Chad,” CJ posted on X. “I’m proud to be part of a group of donors matching every gift to ChadTough Defeat DIPG, up to $300,000 today. Double your impact and help future families faced with DIPG.”

CJ is leveraging his platform not just for donations, but to put a national spotlight on a disease that devastates families in silence. He doesn’t want any other family to go through what his did. Beyond the fight, Chad was a prankster and family joker, always finding ways to mess with his football-loving family. There was one time when Chad laughed so hard when his new puppy pooped on the floor that it lit up the entire room. That’s the joy they’re honoring as they fight for a cure.

“Chad taught us that the things that really matter in life are the people around you and your family,” CJ said.

Tammi Carr’s support for the Irish extends beyond CJ

For Tammi Carr, losing one son at such a young age was always very difficult. And that’s why she tries to hold both CJ and Tommy very close to herself. But it’s not just them she tries to protect. Being an active Irish supporter, Tammi Carr never backs down in defending other ND QBs like Kenny Minchey, even though he entered the transfer portal.

On December 8, 2025, NFL insider Dan Dakich tweeted “Quilters gonna quit,” sharing a report that Minchey had entered the portal after losing the starting job competition to CJ Carr. Tammi Carr quickly replied, “What is wrong with you?” in response to Dakich’s harsh label, which implied weakness or quitting under pressure. This protective response echoed the family’s tight-knit dynamic. She treated Minchey like family, despite no blood relation.

Minchey was a four-star Class of 2023 recruit who flipped from Pittsburgh. He appeared in 10 games over three years, mostly off the bench, completing 20-of-26 passes for 196 yards. He even ran for 84 yards and scored a touchdown in 2025. The redshirt sophomore fought intensely with CJ Carr for the starter role. It was a “50-50 coin flip” through camp, where Minchey’s steadiness briefly led. But Carr’s aggressive style and final scrimmage performance won out under coaches Marcus Freeman and Mike Denbrock.

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