LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine University head coach Doug Davenport added to his roster on Thursday afternoon by "signing" 9-year-old Isaiah White through Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization that has developed a unique multiyear program that matches children facing serious illnesses and disabilities with college athletic teams across the country.
 
Isaiah, who lives with Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), was officially introduced at a press conference Thursday inside Knights Hall on Bellarmine's campus.
 
By signing with the Knights, Isaiah will participate in many activities with the team including games, practices and other events.
 
Isaiah was diagnosed with Ph+ ALL in March 2021 when he was just 5 years old. He was treated with chemotherapy for two years at Norton Children's Hospital, but unfortunately relapsed in October 2023. Isaiah then received a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor in February 2024 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. His recovery has taken longer due to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where the body starts to attack the donor cells. He is currently in remission and just completed third grade at Harmony Elementary School in Goshen, Ky.
 
"Isaiah is such a witty kid and has maintained his sense of humor and a positive attitude throughout treatment," said his mother, Christina White. "We are hoping this experience with Team IMPACT will give him something to look forward to, encourage him to be active again and allow him to meet some positive role models."
 
Christina says the family learned about Team IMPACT from a friend whose daughter had an amazing experience with the Indiana University women's basketball team. Isaiah had just started playing basketball when his leukemia relapsed, so the youngster is looking forward to being involved with Team IMPACT and Bellarmine. In addition to sports, Isaiah loves to play Roblox and Minecraft. He has also started cooking and, according to Christina, is becoming quite the foodie.
 
Isaiah became the third child battling leukemia to be included on the Bellarmine men's basketball team joining Patrick McSweeney (2013) and Seth Walsh (2022).
 
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