It was pure happenstance when Tammi Carr became the Executive Director of Wayne and Shelly Jones’ foundation, The Jones Family Foundation, in 2009. Wayne and Shelly were looking for someone to head up their foundation when they met Tammi through her development position at Michigan Medicine.
“It worked out,” said Shelly Jones. “It was perfect.”
The Carr family and the Jones family grew close, and Tammi left her position with Michigan Medicine in 2013 to start working with The Jones Family Foundation full time.
Then disaster struck on September 23, 2014, when Chad was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
“At that point I had to make some big decisions,” said Tammi. “This was the fight of our lives, and our focus had to be Chad, 100-percent. I didn’t know how to approach the situation with Wayne and Shelly.”
It turns out she had nothing to be nervous about.
“They were incredible and were adamant that I focus on Chad’s well-being,” said Tammi.
“Once we started ChadTough, I knew I would have to find a balance between my work with the Jones family and our mission as a family. I didn’t want to feel like I was pushing Chad’s legacy on them. “But they basically said, ‘No, we want this to be part of what we do now.’”
So the Jones family aligned their mission with ChadTough, standing with Tammi, Jason, CJ, Tommy, and Chad from the very beginning. They have been supporters from day one, contributing significantly to the initiative at Michigan Medicine that resulted in the naming of the Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center.
“Tammi and her family are very near and dear to us,” said Shelly Jones. “We want to be a part of the progress and be there as they work to find a cure for DIPG. It’s amazing what they have already accomplished, and it is important to us that we be there to support them.”
About The Jones Family Foundation
Primarily serving Southeast Michigan and Southeast Florida, the Jones Family Foundation is dedicated to improving communities by providing financial support to qualified nonprofit organizations including, but not limited to, those that address the needs of children’s health, education, and our nation’s veterans.