Tuesday was a busy day at the Smith Center. New gear arrived from Jordan Brand. Bags were packed. There were ticket requests and travel details to sort through.
Items were lined up outside the Tar Heel basketball locker room to be signed—balls and newspapers and photos. And there was also one other autograph request: Justin McKoy was walking through the locker room with a March Madness sign he'd brought home from Philadelphia, asking each of his teammates to add their autographs.
But it wasn't for him. Instead, on one of his busiest days at Carolina—remember, even while preparing for Saturday night's Final Four matchup with Duke, every player is still balancing class schedules and makeup work for the time spent in New Orleans, Philadelphia and Fort Worth over the past three weeks—McKoy was making a stop by the UNC Children's Hospital.
The visit was to see Ashlyn Hope Perkins, a six-year-old girl who was diagnosed with stage four high risk neuroblastoma in 2020, when she was just four years old. Part of the extensive treatment for that disease includes five rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell treatments.
Calendar year 2020 was difficult for everyone. Now imagine living through the pandemic while trying to help your child deal with cancer. Both of Ashlyn's parents, Julie and Justin, had to deal with employment issues caused by a combination of the pandemic and the enormous time required for Ashlyn's appointments and treatments. Just as they started to get back into the workforce, Ashlyn relapsed in November of 2021.
McKoy originally found out about Ashlyn through his mother, who went to high school with a member of Ashlyn's family. And when McKoy discovered Ashlyn had his jersey number on her hospital room door at UNC Children's Hospital, he knew he had to visit.
"My mom texted me about it on Tuesday morning," he said. "I got in touch with Ashlyn's mom, Julie, and we set up the visit for after practice."
It wasn't simply a quick stop to show his face.
"Everything about the visit impressed us," Julie Perkins said. "We were expecting him to stop by and say hi, but he stayed for two hours. He played with Ashlyn, read to her, reviewed her sight words, and when she asked him if he could do origami, he said he didn't know how to do it but would learn how."
And that's how Justin McKoy spent the Tuesday before the Final Four learning how to make an origami future teller (Ashlyn, a little more advanced than Justin, made a dog). It should be noted that McKoy was reticent to even participate in this story, but reconciled it when he decided it might result in more attention for the funds being raised to send Ashlyn to Disney World (you can learn more and donate by visiting the family's GoFundMe page).
The visit happened because of McKoy's family connection, but it built on conversations he's been having recently with Jackie Manuel.
"I'm starting to realize that life isn't all about me," McKoy said. "It's bigger than me and always will be, and there is peace in that. When you live life that way, you appreciate everything a lot more."
Manuel's message to McKoy, and to all the Tar Heels, has been simple.
"We are on this earth to help people," Manuel said. "As you get older, you realize it's not about you. As people, we are happiest when we are serving and helping others."
Taking time out of his Final Four week made a significant difference to a six-year-old who has experienced more than her fair share of struggles. The hope is that Ashlyn will be discharged on Friday or Saturday morning, which means the family will be able to watch Saturday's game at home—where Justin McKoy will have a very tough, very committed fan rooting for the Tar Heels.
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April 01, 2022 at 08:29PM
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Lucas: McKoy Makes Time - University of North Carolina Athletics - UNC Athletics
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