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Marian University signs 7-year-old Peyton Manning Children's Hospital patient to football team

Trace Butler will spend the next two years participating in both on-field and off-field team activities.

INDIANAPOLIS — Marian University signed its newest football team member Monday, and chances are he might become a fan-favorite over the next couple years.

Trace Butler is a 7-year-old boy who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 18 months old. He receives treatment at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent.

Thanks to Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children with illnesses with college sports teams, Butler will join the Marian Knights for the next two years. He will be an honorary team member, participating in team activities both on and off the field. He'll attend practice and games with the team, in addition to sharing his experience of living with Type 1 diabetes.

Butler is no stranger to football. His dad, Tyrece, played at the University of Michigan, and he's long been a fan of the sport.

Credit: Ascension St. Vincent
Trace Butler will be an honorary team member of the Marian Knights football team for two years, thanks to Team IMPACT, a program that connects children with illnesses with college sports teams.

Butler's parents said his diabetes diagnoses changed everything they knew about parenting, but they're determined to keep encouraging him to achieve anything he desires.

MORE: Marian senior crucial to team's NAIA Championship run after giving birth

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