How Duke made an ailing teenager’s basketball dream come true
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke and Dream On 3 arranged Jaeda Norman’s court visits, shootarounds and recognition.
- Duke Dream On 3 chapter raised $10,000 to cover expenses for Jaeda’s visit.
- Jaeda, an amputee cancer patient, met coaches and players and received gifts.
Duke basketball welcomed a special guest this past week.
Jaeda Norman says she first learned the game from her parents growing up in Benson. While a good shooter, she says she’s prouder of her defensive intensity, making her a more complete basketball player.
Jaeda isn’t a five-star recruit. She won’t play basketball at Duke. But in terms of personality and determination and inspirational fighting spirit, she’s the kind of person any basketball coach would want associated with their team.
Jaeda is battling cancer. Her prognosis is not a good one; she is in hospice care. But the 18-year-old was able to live out something of a dream in her hoops visit to Duke, being around both the men’s and women’s teams, head coaches Jon Scheyer and Kara Lawson and all the players.
Thanks to the efforts of Dream On 3, a Charlotte based nonprofit, and the fundraising of the Duke Dream On 3 chapter, Jaeda attended two games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, was a part of the teams’ pregame shootarounds, was recognized at midcourt and received a standing ovation from Duke fans that she said was a “rush.”
Jaeda and her family sat near the Duke bench Tuesday as the No. 3 Blue Devils fought their way to a victory over Lipscomb. She was back at Cameron on Thursday for the women’s game against South Dakota State, again with courtside seats close to the bench and the ability to listen in and feel a part of what she called the “sisterhood.”
“It has been a great experience,” Jaeda said Thursday in an interview at the Washington Duke Inn. “I met the coaches and watched some of their shootaround. It was really interesting, being on the court. There’s a lot of difference in being on the court and looking at the game on the court. It was a really, really good experience.”
Getting shots up at Cameron Indoor
Jaeda smiled when asked if her basketball instincts kicked in and she was able to get in a few shots in the shootaround practice at Cameron.
“I did!” she said. “I made a few, but I missed a lot. It was my first time shooting the ball in a really long time. But it felt good.”
Jaeda was able to meet and speak with Scheyer, who quickly made an impression.
“Very encouraging,” she said. “His words honestly uplifted me. I could tell he’s a great coach just by the words he was speaking to me.”
Jaeda’s cancer, diagnosed in October 2023, resulted in having her right leg amputated. She has a prosthetic leg. A lot of activity is tiring, and she and her family left the men’s game Tuesday after halftime.
But there was a shopping spree Wednesday at Southpoint. Jaeda was rejuvenated and enjoying herself. A special movie viewing was arranged and included a surprise: a video tribute to Jaeda filled with messages from such basketball stars as the WNBA’s Paige Bueckers and South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley.
New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu also sent an autographed jersey that Jaeda proudly showed off during the interview.
Thursday was a busy day. She went to the women’s shootaround, receiving a gear pack and a signed team poster and basketball. She did a special podcast highlighting her favorite family memories — a Christmas gift for her father and family, now living in Durham.
Then it was on to ring the bell in pregame and again be recognized. And with it being designated a “teddy bear toss” game, she was given a teddy bear to throw on the court at halftime.
“Just going with the flow,” she said, smiling again.
Becoming a Duke fan
Why the Duke fandom?
“When I first started getting into basketball, I felt like they were kind of the underdogs,” she said “In North Carolina, it’s like everybody looked at UNC and N.C. State. I liked Duke. The more I watched, the more I loved the players, the more I loved the coaches.”
And especially Lawson.
“Her mindset, the way she coaches, you can tell she has passion for the sport,” Jaeda said. “I love that.”
Dream On 3 has a mission of making sports-themed dreams come true for kids and young adults ages 5 to 21 who have life-altering conditions. Barb Urch, senior program coordinator for Dream On 3, said the Duke chapter raised $10,000 to handle the expenses.
Sofia Ortega, a Duke senior and a chapter captain, said one recipient is brought in each year. Jaeda, she said, was referred to the chapter by those at Duke University Hospital, where Jaeda was being treated.
“We thought Jaeda was a great recipient,” Ortega said. “You could tell she loved Duke, and she loved basketball.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
