Lowell’s Ty Chan transferred to UConn to get closer to home. His niece, battling leukemia, couldn’t be happier.

Final November, as Notre Dame equipped for the Faculty Soccer Playoff, offensive lineman Ty Chan realized that his beloved niece, Olivia Kazanjian, had been recognized with acute lymphoblastic leukemia simply earlier than her fifth birthday.

Chan, a Lowell native and Lawrence Academy product, did his finest to compartmentalize and savor the run of a lifetime to the championship game. However his thoughts was concurrently elsewhere as his brother, Josh Kazanjian, introduced Olivia into therapy at Boston Kids’s Hospital.

The space from house weighed on him as he contemplated his future. Chan, the No. 1 participant from Massachusetts within the Class of 2022, was already contemplating transferring for a shot at extra enjoying time.

When he heard the information, he knew he needed to be there for his household. He known as his brother after the title sport and instructed him he was coming again to New England with Olivia in thoughts.

“She’s among the best folks ever,” Chan stated. “She’s simply certainly one of a form.”

It’s been a attempting 12 months for the household, to say the least, however Olivia, now 6, has maintained a constructive outlook. In remission and regaining her hair, she has leaned on Chan as a relentless supply of assist.

Olivia and her mother and father are thrilled that Chan selected to spend the season with UConn, they usually can’t wait to look at him play within the Fenway Bowl in opposition to Military on Saturday afternoon.

“I like him a lot,” Olivia stated. “He’s my uncle. That’s why I name him Uncle Ty.”

Chan centered totally on basketball as a younger child. He elected to not play soccer his freshman 12 months at Lowell Excessive, however joined the crew in October and realized he had extra potential than he thought.

He transferred to Lawrence Academy after his sophomore 12 months, reclassified, and commenced to dream massive. Chan entered the nationwide highlight at an Beneath Armour camp and acquired heavy nationwide curiosity from there.

“He was in a position to deal with it,” stated Lawrence Academy coach Jason Swepson. “He ready himself for that second. He was humble and continued to work laborious.”

Chan selected Notre Dame due to the status, the teachers, and the chance to compete for a nationwide title. It didn’t harm that Josh was a diehard fan.

The neighborhood was every little thing he had hoped for, however he knew deep down that he was able to extra. When Olivia was recognized, that was the ultimate push he wanted to make a change.

“Ty and Olivia have all the time had a particular bond,” Josh Kazanjian stated. “It’s his solely niece. He’s been so supportive. When she was first recognized, loads of children on the Notre Dame crew reached out.”

Life on the soccer subject has been extra fruitful for Chan, a 6-foot-5-inch, 320-pound redshirt junior, as he’s performed a key function in a 9-3 season. Life off the sector has been immensely gratifying, as he’s spent high quality time with Olivia and the remainder of the household and seen her make a wonderful restoration.

After a dizzying few months, Olivia entered remission in January. She continues to bear therapy and has had hiccups alongside the way in which, coping with lumbar punctures, however her spirit has remained intact.

She returned to high school and commenced enjoying T-ball within the spring, then bought the possibility to do a photoshoot with Crimson Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock at Fenway Park. Olivia is an lively member of the Dana-Farber Most cancers Institute and Jimmy Fund households, and she or he’s additionally a little bit of an web superstar.

Olivia, spunky and charismatic by nature, has 26,000 followers on Instagram (@GrubWLivy), the place she critiques meals along with her signature aptitude. She’s additionally a little bit of a TikTok legend, the place she critiques merchandise as a model ambassador. Chan has proven his UConn teammates a few of the clips, and he’s grateful she has a platform to precise her ideas.

“She’s a warrior,” Chan stated. “She’s a really kind-hearted soul. With the ability to see her recuperate and be so joyful about issues, despite the fact that some could not have been in such a limelight, it’s very highly effective to see the spirit that she nonetheless has and is constant to develop.”

Chan and Olivia share a mutual love of cats, they usually had a blast sitting on the sofa and watching soccer with Chan’s cat, Mr. Chow, at Thanksgiving. They take pleasure in enjoying catch within the yard, bonding over their favourite meals, and joking round.

“He’s very particular,” Olivia stated. “He loves me. He provides me hugs.”

Chan, a delicate big, has a relaxing and nurturing presence about him that carries over to the locker room as nicely.

“He’s in all probability the nicest child we have now on the crew,” stated UConn tight finish Louis Hansen. “He’s all the time an awesome man to be round. He’s all the time making you snicker, making you smile.”

It runs within the household, as Olivia has a knack for brightening anybody’s day. On a FaceTime name with a reporter 5 days earlier than Christmas, she instantly displayed her Frosty the Snowman drawing, then confirmed her Christmas tree within the nook and defined that she has two elves.

She conveyed her need to offer her father a haircut, then famous with a smile that her most cancers therapy is “technically going good.”

“I’m a personality,” Olivia stated.

Chan now will get to see that character on a regular basis, somewhat than simply each from time to time. Seeing her smile by way of all of it has put every little thing in perspective and reminded him how lovely life may be even in its most fragile state.

Watching Olivia persevere has proven him what psychological toughness seems to be like.

“With the ability to see her combat by way of this has undoubtedly made me a greater particular person and taught me to by no means surrender,” Chan stated.