Team Tommy Army Strong
Fund-raising - Hudsonville, Michigan, United States
Team Tommy Army Strong Employees
Team Tommy Army Strong Details
Thomas Anthony Ruddy - Tommy - was born on November 11, 2010 to Tom, Amanda, and big sister, Isabella. From an early age, it was clear Tommy was the life of their family. He was outgoing, loved sports, and had an incredible, giving spirit.Amanda, a former ER nurse, noticed something wasn't right with Tommy. Her worst suspicions were confirmed when he was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) on August 12, 2016.DIPG is a brain tumor found in a part of the brain stem called the pons. The pons controls essential bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, eye movement, eyesight, and balance. Children diagnosed with DIPG receive a prognosis of 9-12 months. They undergo radiation treatment in an effort to shrink the tumor and buy them more time. Tommy Ruddy, however, did not respond well to radiation, and passed away after just 11 weeks.The Ruddy family joined forced with The ChadTough Foundation (named after Chad Carr) as a way to honor Tommy's legacy and raise funds and awareness for DIPG. While there is currently no cure, family organizations like ChadTough and Team Tommy have brought critical awareness to the disease.The result has been more DIPG-specific researchers, research dollars, and clinical trials, accelerating progress over the past five years. The University of Michigan, where Chad Carr was treated, established The Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center, which focuses on pediatric brain tumors. Team Tommy is an official partner family of The ChadTough Foundation, contributing each year with RunTough for Team Tommy as well as other fundraisers. To learn more about Team Tommy and how you can contribute, visit the website via the button above.
