Seven-year-old Logan March of Watertown put pen to paper Tuesday inside Boston College's Yawkey Athletics Center, officially signing a two-year letter of intent with the Eagles football team as the entire roster erupted in synchronized locker-room chants to welcome him. Logan, who was born with a rare genetic disorder and lives with epilepsy, became the newest member of the team through Team IMPACT, a nonprofit that pairs children facing serious illness or disability with college athletic programs.
The signing took place in the Murray Room on the fourth floor of the Yawkey Athletics Center, according to Sports Illustrated, which described the space as a primary team meeting facility for Boston College Athletics. As WBZ NewsRadio reported, Boston College held the official ceremony in Chestnut Hill with the football team on hand, and Team IMPACT arranged the day itself. Logan's parents, Robert and Lyla March, watched their son sign alongside head coach Bill O'Brien and the players who now count him as a teammate.
A Rare Diagnosis Behind the Celebration
Logan was born with a genetic defect that doctors identified as Gould Syndrome, per the seed report from WBZ NewsRadio. The condition, described by the National Organization for Rare Disorders as an ultra-rare, genetic, multi-system disorder, stems from variants in the COL4A1 or COL4A2 genes that disrupt type IV collagen in the body's tissue basement membranes, commonly damaging the brain, eyes, muscles, and kidneys. The syndrome was first identified in 2003 by UCSF geneticist Dr. Douglas Gould after he discovered the mutation in mice, according to background compiled by Global Genes.
Beyond Gould Syndrome, Logan also has epilepsy, the same WBZ NewsRadio report noted. He was additionally diagnosed with cortical visual impairment, or CVI, a brain-based disorder in which damaged visual pathways prevent the brain from correctly processing sight even though the eyes themselves function normally, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic notes that CVI is the leading cause of visual impairment in children and arises from neurological dysfunction rather than damage to the eyes themselves.
The scope of what children with Gould Syndrome can face is stark. A 2021 global patient registry study published in Epilepsy & Behavior found that among pediatric Gould Syndrome patients who experienced seizures, 88.6% had developmental delays, 65.7% had cerebral palsy, and 60% had a history of stroke, based on survey data from 70 families across 12 countries. Separately, the Perkins School for the Blind has estimated that fewer than 20% of children with CVI receive an accurate or timely diagnosis, even though it is recognized as the leading cause of childhood visual impairment in developed nations.
Coach O'Brien: 'They'll Learn More From Him'
Head coach Bill O'Brien, who took over the Boston College program in early 2024, said Logan's daily challenges teach empathy, per the seed report from WBZ NewsRadio. O'Brien added that his players will learn more from Logan than they could ever teach him. Logan's father, Robert March, said the experience exceeded his family's expectations, while Logan's mother, Lyla March, said she is proud of both her son and the Boston College players and coaches who welcomed him.
Logan is the 36th child matched with Boston College Athletics through Team IMPACT over the program's 15-year relationship with the school, but he is the first child to sign with the football team specifically under O'Brien, according to Sports Illustrated. Boston College Athletics has placed those 36 children across 18 different varsity sports teams during that span. The school's connection to the organization runs deeper than one signing day — Boston College's Alumni Stadium hosted Team IMPACT's second annual Field Day in May 2024, bringing together hundreds of matched children, families, and student-athletes from across the region.
How Team IMPACT Connects Kids and College Teams
Team IMPACT, founded in Quincy in 2011, connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses or disabilities with college athletic teams through what it describes as a multi-year therapeutic program. The organization has matched more than 4,000 children with athletic programs at more than 750 colleges and universities across all 50 states, touching more than 25,000 student-athletes in the process, according to Boston College Athletics. Its relationship with student-athletes is designed to help children overcome social isolation while teaching the athletes themselves lessons in resilience and caring for people facing hardship.
The organization has continued to grow. Heading into the current academic year, Team IMPACT reached a program milestone of 1,027 active child-team matches across 432 college campuses, the largest active roster in its history, engaging student-athletes across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III. For a Watertown family navigating an ultra-rare diagnosis, that network translated Tuesday into a locker room full of college football players chanting a seven-year-old's name.
