How UWG Alumni Bring Hope to Families Fighting Childhood Cancer Share this pageShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

When Chase McDaniel, 17, lost his battle with cancer, his parents, University of West Georgia alumni Tracy and Kiki McDaniel, refused to let his light fade. Instead, they turned their grief into action, founding Chase the Victory (CTV) to honor his memory and ease the journey for families walking the same difficult path. 

While mourning is still part of their daily lives, Tracy and Kiki say CTV has given them a way to keep their son’s spirit alive. Each family they reach, each smile they bring, is a reminder that even in loss, love can create a lasting impact. 

A Family’s Fight  

“Childhood cancer is like any unwelcome disease – devastating,” Tracy said. “Nothing prepares you for this. It robs you of your sense of safety and changes everything you think you know about life. It makes you realize how powerless you are.”  

On April 20, 2019 – the morning of his prom and two weeks before his 17th birthday – Chase was diagnosed with stage IV diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Despite the prognosis, Chase convinced his doctors to release him from the hospital, where they were helping him manage the pain. He was determined to keep his promise to his date. 

“Chase said, ‘I can’t do anything about the past, and the future hasn’t happened yet. The most important day is today,’” Tracy recalled. “That humbled me. I realized I was learning from my own child.”  

Through months of procedures, including chemotherapy, spinal taps and surgeries, Chase continued courageously to advocate for other kids fighting cancer. When a new patient arrived, he was always the one to share an encouraging word. 

“His determination to make every moment count was always on display,” Kiki continued. “Chase lived for something outside of himself and had a joy that strengthened him in his darkest hours.” 

The night before former Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan’s childhood cancer event, where Chase would speak in public for the last time, Chase received a scan that unfortunately revealed the cancer, although smaller, was still present. 

That same night, he made a social media post about wanting to turn his fight into something that could help others.  

A Son’s Legacy  

On Nov. 16, 2019, Chase passed away. In that instance, Tracy and Kiki – along with their daughters, Karstyn and Sophie – experienced a pain they never fathomed.

“There aren’t enough words to adequately describe the suffering that comes with losing your child,” Kiki shared. “Once you’ve seen your child battle cancer and endure things no human should ever face, you can’t unsee it. When Chase was diagnosed, the doctors said he had a 90% cure rate. There are thousands left in the shadows of the other 10%. CTV is committed to bridging that gap.” 

CTV, a national nonprofit founded in 2020 by the McDaniels, serves families from 34 different states as well as Canada and Mexico. 

“Chase brought people together,” Tracy stated. “He made everyone feel like they were his best friend. His attitude and effort were excellent. Even fighting cancer, he was always lifting others up, focusing on encouraging them. That’s what I miss the most – being able to witness his strengths. When someone is caught in their toughest battles, what’s inside them comes out. And with Chase, it was always something good.” 

A typical teenager, Chase was interested in sports, music and sneakers. After spending his 17th birthday at the hospital, he had the vision to incorporate his love of footwear as an opportunity to make people smile. These sneaker gift packages of hope and encouragement are a part of his legacy that continues today. 

“To others, it may seem like just a pair of shoes,” Kiki said. “But for teens who are fighting cancer or grieving the loss of a sibling, this symbolic gift from CTV is a reminder that they are not alone.” 

A Community’s Strength 

Another main tenet of the organization is connecting bereaved families on their path toward healing. As part of this mission, CTV offers week-long retreats – free of charge, thanks to donors. These retreats feed into ongoing support groups, providing community and lifelong support. 

“On each retreat, a family is formed, a community is built, legacies are honored and lives are changed,” Kiki explained. 

Included in the broader community is UWG, with whom CTV has an exceptional symbiotic relationship. The UWG Blue Coats support CTV’s annual Sneaker Ball, and art alumnus and current MBA student Nicole Lopez Miranda’s internship – which focused heavily on CTV's marketing portfolio – was so successful, it was extended. 

“Using my creativity to make such a meaningful impact was extremely rewarding,” said Miranda, who had a loved one with cancer. “The extension not only gave me the chance to keep contributing to the office, but to also attend retreats for bereaved families and be face-to-face with the impact of my work. Being asked to stay was more than a recognition. It showed that I was trusted to keep serving in a meaningful way.” 

When Miranda visited Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on behalf of CTV, the joy of the patients represented the legacy that Chase wanted to leave behind.  

“Whether there’s a family who doesn’t speak English or a boy battling leukemia, they are all treated with kindness and catered to their specific needs,” she observed. 

In addition, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized at a UWG football game each September, at which CTV and grieving families are honored on the field. Tracy said this is powerful because it puts a face to the disease. 

“You rarely see the faces of survivors and families who have experienced loss,” he continued. “When you put a face to it, it becomes real. It’s not something that just comes and goes. It devastates families – financially, emotionally, mentally. That’s why awareness matters. Behind every statistic is a child, a family, a story.” 

That’s why the CTV logo includes the words “share hope, spread kindness.” 

“In the midst of his pain, I witnessed Chase caring for others,” Tracy concluded. “Now, in our own pain, we try to live like our son did. Scripture says God comforts us so we can comfort others. That’s our mission – to take what we’ve endured and use it to encourage families walking the same road.” 

To learn more about the McDaniels and Chase the Victory, visit chasethevictory.com.  

Julie Lineback, who wrote this story for UWG News, is a childhood cancer survivor, having survived neuroblastoma at a young age.