Burlington boy, leukemia survivor will cheer on UNC baseball in CWS title series
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Childhood leukemia survivor David Hill, 6, is going to Omaha for MCWS.
- UNC players built ongoing personal relationships with David during his treatment.
- Team IMPACT is flying the family to the national championship series.
North Carolina baseball will have a special fan in attendance this weekend when it plays for a national championship.
No, it won’t be country singer Eric Church. Or first-year men’s basketball coach Mike Malone. Or even Roy Williams.
The Tar Heels’ special guest is none other than David Hill, a 6-year-old leukemia survivor.
His family found out last week that a trip to Omaha was possible. David started jumping up and down when Carolina beat West Virginia, 12-7, on Wednesday, solidifying its spot in the finals and the boy’s trip to the plains.
“They’re really nice to me, and we have played games,” David said before the family left Burlington. “I’ve found some baseballs that they hit, and I’m happy to go to the game in Omaha.”
David became part of the program three years ago after Dr. Patrick Thompson, a pediatric oncologist at UNC Children’s Hospital, connected him with the Tar Heels. He joined Team IMPACT — a nonprofit that supports children with disabilities and health challenges — shortly after turning 5.
In the past two years, David participated in shoe-painting events, team dinners, attended games, spent time in the dugout, and gone to Christmas events. Members of the team even made hospital visits when David received treatment.
Now, Team IMPACT is flying David and his family to Omaha, where they will watch No. 5 UNC play unseeded Oklahoma for a title at the Men’s College World Series and hopefully participate in other activities with the team.
Josh Hill, David’s father, said his son was diagnosed at age 3 after dealing with lingering illness and fevers. Blood work showed leukemia. David underwent typical cancer treatments and was treated for C. diff, a bacterial infection of the colon.
He is now in remission and will hit the one-year mark in August.
There were times when the family could’ve never imagined David getting an opportunity like this.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen, where we were going to be,” Josh Hill said. “I mean, my wife and I got to the point where we weren’t even making plans. We were literally just day to day; kind of surviving.”
Besties with the boys in Carolina blue
As Josh Hill hung up the phone, David could be heard in the background yelling, “Tell my guys I love them!”
The boy is a member of the team as anyone on the field at a given time.
David said the players are “really nice” and he likes their expressions when they see him. They have gone out of their way to make him feel welcomed.
The Tar Heels don’t spend time with David because they have to, Josh Hill said. They do it because they want to.
One day last season, former Tar Heel Luke Stevenson sat with David in the dugout and played with matchbox cars together. It was a sweet moment that didn’t get put on ESPN or will likely be remembered in Carolina baseball history, but it was one that resonated with a family and young boy.
“They’re genuinely nice guys,” Josh Hill said. “It’s very heartfelt what they do, and it is very uplifting as a parent to see them genuinely care about my son.”
Gavin Gallaher is one of David’s favorite players, he admits, but it’s mostly because they’ve spent so much time together.
The captain has taken it upon himself to build a deep relationship not only with David but the rest of the Hill family.
“Gavin has spent a lot of time with us in general after last year when Jake Knapp left the team,” Josh Hill said. “Even before that, Gavin spent a lot of time with us. We’ve also gotten to spend some time with his parents. I met them the first year we were with the team, so Gavin has just been a really big part of this whole thing.”
From unattached to Tar Heels forever
UNC baseball is no stranger to having special teammates.
Jacob Ray “J.R.” Anton, 31, died in 2024 at his home in Omaha, a month before Carolina’s trip to the Men’s College World Series. He met the team in 2006 and was both a fan, friend and bat boy to the program, making yearly trips to Chapel Hill.
In 2017, Anton signed with the program as an “Honorary Team Member” — official contract and all.
He had Hunter Syndrome, which affected his joints, hearing and heart. Forbes carried a photo of Anton in a binder during the team’s 2024 trip to Omaha.
This year, upon UNC’s return to the CWS, Forbes visited Anton’s bench at the Omaha Baseball Village with his wife and daughters. It was a reminder of why the program participates in community service and works with the children’s hospital where David was treated and Miracle League.
“I’m just thankful that I got to know J.R. and the fact that he lived life like he did,” Forbes said Wednesday night. “I can see that big smile. He’d be so excited right now.”
Anton might be physically gone, his time with the program represented the power of baseball and the Carolina family.
Two years later, when David sits in the stands at Charles Schwab Field, he will — whether he realizes it or not — continue Anton’s legacy of passion, unconditional love and connection. The 6-year-old and his family are part of a special group of people positively impacted by UNC baseball.
“I personally liked UNC, but I didn’t care either way when I came to the big three rivalry — State Duke and UNC — but my wife and I joke now that we’re Tar Heels for life.”
