Wissahickon girls’ soccer presented a check for the Kellan Ford Foundation prior to Saturday’s game against Lansdale Catholic. Kellan – the son of former Wissahickon assistant coach Mike Ford – lost his courageous battle with brain cancer on June 11, 2021. (Photos provided courtesy of Josh Stelzer/Wissahickon Soccer) The following article is sponsored by Univest Corporation (https://www.univest.net).
“Choose Happiness”
That’s exactly what Kellan Ford did during his courageous nine-month battle with metastatic brain cancer, and it is the legacy the five-year-old left behind when he passed away on June 11, 2021.
Last Saturday, the Wissahickon girls’ soccer team – wearing ‘Kellan Strong’ t-shirts – presented a check for $500 to Mike and Kristin Ford for the Kellan Ford Foundation. The foundation was established to carry on Kellan’s legacy and help fund better outcomes for children just like him. “Choose Happiness” is the first thing anyone sees when visiting the web site: (https://www.kellanford.com). 
For Trojan players and coaches, Saturday’s event was personal. Mike Ford was an assistant coach under coach Chris McDaniels and had coached many of the players on the team and holds a special place in their hearts.
“Ford was a coach that encouraged us to develop on a personal level and take on leadership skills as well as building a fun and supportive group dynamic,” said senior Taylor Piergrossi, who played for Ford on the junior varsity as a freshman and sophomore. “We really appreciated all that he did for us and the time he took to help us grow our skills as players and individuals.”
Kellan’s journey with brain cancer began in August of 2020.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” McDaniels said. “It was the second day of preseason when he got the phone call that his son had an incident at school where he fell, and they thought there was something to it, and that was the start of all this.
“His son was in surgery 48 hours later. It was intense. It seemed early on that CHOP knew his situation was a really serious one. At that point, Mike stepped away and said, ‘I have to be there for my family.’ We said, ‘Of course you do.’
With the season already underway, the Trojans were without a coach, but Tony Memis stepped in and assisted the girls’ team.
“His son plays on the varsity boys’ soccer team, and he basically sacrificed seeing his son’s season in order to help us after he found out what happened to Ford,” Piergrossi said.
“He knew what happened, so he came to McDaniels and asked if he could help, and he coached JV last year.”
Ford, a fixture on the sidelines at Wissahickon in three sports, also coached indoor track and spring track.
“Since I took over the program four years ago, Mike’s been an assistant and just filled in admirably wherever we needed him,” McDaniels said. “Whether it was standing by me with the varsity team, or more often than not, developing the JV girls and spending time with them, honing their technique and skills. Many of the girls played under him.
“We have kids basically the same age, so it wouldn’t be uncommon, especially when we were doing two-a-days for his kids (Kellan and Parker) and my kids to be on the sidelines, kicking balls around. A lot of the girls knew his boys, and it hit home.”
Seeing Kellan lose his battle with brain cancer was a difficult experience for all involved.
“It was definitely something I really hadn’t felt before - that loss for somebody you know and really cared about,” Piergrossi said. “We tried to support him as much as we could. Almost all of our fundraising last year went to Ford and his family.
“It was crazy to think something like that could happen to someone so young. I admired Ford for having the strength to go through it but also at the same time feeling so sorry that anyone had to go through that.”
In the fall of last year, the girls’ soccer team and the cross country program set up a virtual 5K as a fundraiser for the Ford family and raised over $2,000.
“We stayed in touch through it all, just tried to be a sounding board for him as he was going through it,” said, McDaniels, who teaches in the same wing as Ford at Wissahickon. “Anyone with kids understands but can’t fathom.
“Coming into this year, I knew we wanted to do something for Mike, Kristin and Parker. When I learned about the Kellan Ford Foundation, I thought it presented an opportunity to show the Fords that they are always a part of this program while also bringing awareness and raising money for their new mission in the foundation. The girls in the program and several of the parents stepped up to make the day special. The (3-0) win over LC was icing on the cake.”
Piergrossi had the honor of speaking on behalf of the team at the check presentation.
“I thought that was an absolutely incredible day to give back to them after Ford has given so much to us, and his whole family has gone through so much,” she said. “He came up to me and my parents and thanked me for making the speech. He really appreciated it.
“I really just felt very proud to be able to help. During the months of last year after we got the news, it just felt helpless not to be able to do anything except be there for him. Now to be able to give back felt very nice.”
The Philadelphia Union as well as ABC6 are two of many organizations helping create awareness about the Kellan Ford Foundation. For additional information, visit https://www.kellanford.com.
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