Our Story

 

Every magician has a story about how they learned their first trick, well Chad's story is quite unique but in a very magical way...

 

In 1991, at the age of three, Chad was diagnosed with leukemia. In 1995, at the age of seven, he relapsed. He needed a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of friends, family, and his medical team, no match was found. As a result, doctors decided to try an experimental protocol. For the next 17 months Chad lived as an inpatient in the cancer ward of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. There, he fought the good fight, which included having to learn how to walk and talk again because of the devastating side effects of the drugs that were intended to cure him. Tubes were attached to him so he could breathe and eat. Through the ordeal, he underwent numerous surgeries and multiple blood transfusions. He went from a 80% chance of survival to under 5%.

While he was bravely fighting the battle, his father would use magic to distract Chad from the fear and pain he was enduring. While receiving his treatments, Chad would lie in his hospital bed and practice making magic for hours a day. Each week his dad would teach him new tricks to master. In 1998, at long last, Chad was released from the hospital. That same year, Chad's dad collapsed and was subsequently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. A respected dentist and local tennis champion, Chad's dad Don deteriorated quickly. In a matter of a few months, he became a three month old trapped in a 41-year-old body. Don died on January 17, 2000, leaving behind Penny, his wife, and his children, Faith and Chad.

Chad is an international performer who lectures across the world. He spreads his magical message to children's hospitals, foundations, corporate events and more. Chad has dedicated himself to perfecting his act: the legacy his dad had left him. 

Chad is the founder of the Spread the Magic Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that performs magic to raise money for pediatric cancer patients.

To this day Chad continues to add the abracadabra to all our lives, as his dad did for him, in the hopes that everyone can find the magic in their lives as he did.