Joe Brown, 28, inspired his Carolina classmates, loved the Tar Heels and never gave up
Posted Oct 28, 2018
Joe Brown pressed a button, and slowly, his remote-control wheelchair began to raise his six-foot-four-inch frame to a standing position. Brown loved his chair, and he especially enjoyed that feature. Living with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare and debilitating disease that progressively damages the nervous system, he wasn’t able to extend all of his lanky frame.
(Durham Herald-Sun)
Related: Campus Connections
UNC alum, former Tar Heels soccer player Jenny Chiu hosts FIFA World Cup TV seriesJenny Chiu ’17 always aimed to become a soccer star. And she has — just not in the way she imagined. As 48 countries compete...
Sat Jun 27, 2026UNC Connections to the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes
Mike Sundheim has been with the Carolina Hurricanes in some capacity for 28 years. Sundheim graduated from UNC in 2000, meaning he started with the...
Thu Jun 25, 2026
Take a closer look at South Building’s new copper roof
The weathervane at the top of South Building hasn’t been the highest point on campus in nearly a century, but for now, anyway, it is...
Wed Jun 24, 2026
UNC ranked No. 55 among universities across the world
The University of North Carolina is the 55th best school in the world, according to U.S. News. Carolina’s best subject areas, according to the rankings,...
Tue Jun 23, 2026