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

Former UNC student Faith Hedgepeth's killer sentenced to life in prison without parole
A jury found Miguel Salguero-Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense, and first-degree burglary in the killing of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth...
Sat Oct 24, 2026

Video: The Road from Chapel Hill to Nashville with Chase Rice
North Carolina alumnus, former Tar Heel linebacker, and country music artist Chase Rice joins the Well Said podcast to talk about how his time at...
Fri Oct 23, 2026

Michael Jordan’s historic $10 million gift honors mother, expands UNC School of Social Work’s impact
In honor of his mother, Deloris P. Jordan, Michael Jordan has made a $10 million commitment to the UNC School of Social Work. The largest...
Mon Oct 5, 2026

Audio: 100 Years of Kenan Stadium - Commencement VIPs
You never know who you’ll see at Kenan Stadium. For Chapelboro’s own Kenny Dike, his commencement in the spring of 2001 featured a few special...
Tue Sep 29, 2026