A 4-year-old Ohio State fan who was recently diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease will be in attendance for Saturday’s College Football Playoff game thanks to a generous gift from Ryan Day.
After Ohio State fan Japheth Willmore, who goes by Brutus Stark on X, announced on Dec. 10 that his son Clark had been diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome, a Tennessee fan named James Dean, who goes by Capt’n Cornjuice on X, started a fundraiser to raise money for the Willmore family with the goal of giving Clark the opportunity to attend Saturday night’s CFP game between the Buckeeys and Volunteers.
That fundraiser has raised approximately $20,000 for the Willmore family as fans from Tennessee, Ohio State and various other college football fanbases – even Michigan – came together to donate to the cause.
I really cant begin to express the amount of gratitude our family is feeling from this incredible outpouring of love.
— Brutus Stark (@iron_brutus) December 11, 2024
This process leading to diagnosis and then getting the news has felt very isolating and lonely.
Never in my dreams would I have expected this kind of support https://t.co/8mRAiIWbgl pic.twitter.com/4UpbZZS0GK
The Willmores booked a trip to Columbus for the game, but until Friday, they thought they’d have to watch the game from their hotel due to the cold weather forecast for Saturday night. That was until Ohio State’s football coach stepped up to donate tickets to the family so they could watch the game from a suite inside Ohio Stadium.
10TV’s Adam King documented the Willmores’ story this week.
Huge thank you to @AdamKing10TV for sharing our story and to Coach @ryandaytime for the opportunity to make unforgettable memories this weekend https://t.co/KMS5UaBpOY
— Brutus Stark (@iron_brutus) December 21, 2024
Sanfilippo syndrome has been described as “childhood Alzheimer’s.” As the disease progresses, people who have it lose neurological and motor functions, and most people who are diagnosed with the disease die in their teens or twenties.
While there is currently no cure for the disease, the funds raised for the Willmore family will allow them to take Clark to see a specialist in North Carolina with hopes of slowing the progression of the disease.
“We didn't have hope right away, and now we do because now we have the ability to get him to care that is going to give us a chance at either a treatment or a cure someday,” Jahpeth Willmore told 10TV.
You can learn more about Sanfilippo syndrome and efforts to find a cure for the disease by visiting the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation’s website.
