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 students take first-day sips at the Old Well
It’s the first day of classes at Carolina, and as Tar Heels know, that means it’s also time to drink from the Old Well for...
Mon Aug 17, 2026

Nonprofit at UNC pairs those with chronic illnesses with a service dog
UNC’s chapter of Lux’s Purpose was founded this year. Service dogs cost as much as $50,000-$70,000, and there is not a single insurance plan that...
Sun Aug 16, 2026

UNC Gears Up for First Day of Classes
The Chapel Hill summer is wrapping up this weekend, as UNC students return to campus ahead of the first day of class on Monday. “It’s...
Sat Aug 15, 2026

Twenty Tar Heels Recognized As ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes
The ACC recognized more than 260 student-athletes, including 20 Tar Heels, as the inaugural class of ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes for the 2025-26 academic year. To...
Wed Aug 12, 2026