Childhood cancer survivor, UGA freshman picked as honorary captain for Georgia-Clemson game
ATLANTA — Ethan Daniels is no stranger to pressure.
He was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2017.
The childhood cancer survivor stood up to big drug companies to fight for access to treatment before he was a teenager.
But Saturday at noon, he will be standing up to Clemson as the honorary captain of Georgia’s football team.
Daniels is a freshman at UGA and has always been a huge fan of the Dawgs.
When he was fighting cancer as a kid, players on the former team helped cheer him up and encouraged him in his treatments.
Now, he will be on the sidelines to encourage them in their game.
The match-up will be right before the kickoff of Childhood Cancer Month, and coaches and players are working to raise money for research.
Daniels celebrated his last day of chemotherapy in 2020. Ethan was treated at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Right now, only 4% of cancer research funding is dedicated to finding cures for pediatric patients.
Daniels has worked with the Rally Foundation for Pediatric Childhood Cancer research for more than a decade to help bring awareness and hope to kids fighting the disease. (https://rallyfoundation.org/)
He has always used his platform to advocate for others and he is hoping this game helps kickoff a great month of support.
“I am honored to represent the UGA student body, athletes, and university as an honorary captain at the Aflac Kickoff Game. I have been a fan of the University of Georgia and their top tier academics and athletics my entire life. As I walk around campus every day, I am surrounded by our future innovators, scientists, doctors, researchers, and advocates. One of them may hold the key to curing cancer. How lucky am I to be here!
I am even more honored to represent the patients and families at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. As a cancer survivor and former patient, I applaud the groundbreaking work happening every day for kids fighting cancer.
Children’s houses the best of the best doctors, nurses, and family support teams. I am here today because of their knowledge, compassion, and dedication.
Every patient has big dreams for their future. I am living my dreams. Now it’s my turn to fight for these amazing kids and bring awareness to pediatric cancer. No one fights alone.
This game brings together 2 parts of my world: my UGA family and my Aflac/CHOA family. I will proudly stand alongside the UGA football team, and I will carry every kid fighting cancer along with me in my heart,” said Daniels.
He will join Hall of Fame placekicker Kevin Butler as the honorary captain for Georgia.
Butler was a placekicker for UGA from 1981 to 1984. Butler kicked 77 field goals and 122 extra points, scoring 353 career points for the Bulldogs.
