Chuck, Stony Brook’s veteran head coach of more than a decade, was more than willing to make a difference in the life of a rare disease patient when a former college football teammate asked him for a favor that didn’t require anything more than saying yes. Chuck’s former college football teammate at Albany, Dennis Murphy, introduced the Seawolves’ skipper to Joey Feminella from West Islip, New York in 2009 through Friends of Jaclyn.
Joey was diagnosed with medulloblastoma at the age of 5, an aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer with a survival rate in the teens. After surgery and three years of radiation, Joey met Coach Priore and the Stony Brook team and became part of the program.
It took some time for Joey to warm up to being part of the team, but the inspiration he received from them developed into a lasting friendship for nearly a half-decade. All Chuck had to do was say yes to an old friend to make it happen.
