Binge Sports: Meet New Panthers Coach Braylon Beam
It’s been a busy week in the sports world. Between the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final, we’ve got a championship series game on every night. American Pharoah just won the first Triple Crown since 1978. But none of those are my favorite story of the week. In my latest Binge SportsCast, I talked about why I love sports, but I may have failed to mention what sports can actually do. It can introduce us to people like Lauren Hill. It can introduce us to people like Braylon Beam.
A lot of people like to go out dancing on Friday nights. It’s the end of the week. It’s a stress reliever for some people. They hit the club and dance the night away. But for six-year-old Braylon Beam, the club really isn’t an option for him. So instead, he dances at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital in Charlotte every Friday.
This is Braylon Beam and his father, Jesse. You see, back in February, doctors discovered a tumor behind Braylon’s optic nerve. He can barely see shadows in one eye and is completely losing sight in the other. So over the course of a year, he’ll undergo chemotherapy with the hope that the treatment will shrink the tumor and save his vision.
I’ve never been through it myself, and I don’t pretend to know what it’s like, but from everything I’ve heard from anyone I’ve ever spoken to about it, chemotherapy sounds awful. But Braylon was determined not to let his treatment get the better of him. So the night before every Friday session, he and his father pick a song and choreograph a dance to help get through the chemo. #JustKeepDancing is born.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Dance like nobody is watching”? Well, that’s what Braylon does. And it’s never just him and his dad. His mother, Meredith (pictured above), is always on hand to record each new routine which can involve nurses, doctors, or other patients at the hospital. You can view these by liking the Bring It 4 Braylon page on Facebook.
As Jesse puts it, “That’s Braylon, I think that’s why people have fallen in love with him.”
And people have fallen in love with Braylon, especially after the story broke and the family made an appearance on Ellen, which you can view below. Ellen Degeneres and Braylon Beam. You know there was dancing.
As you can see from the video and most of the pictures here, it’s quite obvious that this young man is a huge fan of the Carolina Panthers. He even expressed his dream to one day coach his favorite team. On Tuesday, through the work of the great folks at the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Carolina Panthers, Braylon’s dream came true.
In a surprise visit to Rock Springs Elementary School where Braylon was finishing up kindergarten, Panthers president Danny Morrison surprised Braylon with a one-day contract to officially coach the Panthers at a Fan Fest on August 7th.
A video message sent by GM Dave Gettleman said it perfectly: “You’ve certainly shown great character, perseverance, toughmindedness in order to overcome your cancer and fight the fight. We love your energy. We love who you are, and we’ve reviewed and I’ve approved your contract.”
This is what sports can do. A simple gesture from a football team just made one courageous young man’s dream come true. Kudos to the Carolina Panthers. They know the power of the NFL and what it can do. All it’s going to do is bring more awareness to pediatric cancer and how people can help this little boy. Join me in the fight by donating to Team Braylon at youcaring.com. On August 7th, Braylon Beam will be on the sidelines with his mother and father to not only watch, but coach his favorite players from the Carolina Panthers. I only wish that twenty-five years from now, he’ll be able to sit and watch a game with his own children. But for now, his wish of coaching his favorite football team will come true.
So how did Braylon Beam celebrate after officially signing his contract? I think you know. #JustKeepDancing
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