Memphis QB Jacob Karam Plays Piano Duet with Leukemia Patient at St. Jude's Hospital (VIDEO)
ByUniversity of Memphis (UM) quarterback Jacob Karam and about 20 teammates visited St. Jude's Children's Hospital a year ago and he has wanted to go back since. Now he has, numerous times, CBS Sports reported.
"I kept asking, 'When do we get to meet the kids?'" Karam said. "They had to do background checks, things of that nature. I had to come back another day."
According to the feature story, he comes to the Target House once every month or two without telling anyone at his school, or anyone at all.
The Target House is a living facility with 96 two-bedroom apartments for families of St. Jude patients. On his visits, he reportedly helps however needed. He moves boxes, he plays songs on the piano, providing background music, or he sometimes he will do arts and crafts with the children.
"I'm part of a big Lebanese-Catholic family," Karam said. "The founder of St. Jude, Danny Thomas, was Lebanese -- and we were raised to support St. Jude. It's almost part of our heritage. When I transferred to Memphis, it was icing on the cake that I could help out at St. Jude."
The reason this is coming to national attention now is because of a viral video of Karam playing a piano duet with a St. Jude patient named Breanna Bercegeay, who is battling acute myeloid leukemia.
Even after the Tigers' QB sat to play a piano rendition of Jessie J's "Price Tag," no one outside the house knew. That was until Breanna's family posted the video to Facebook.
Ron Mears, assistant athletic director at UM, is responsible for public relations for the school's football team and he learned of the event like anyone else.
"That's how I heard about it," he said. "Someone showed me the video."
Breanna's mother, Dara Bertucci, had no idea Karam even played quarterback, let alone that he was pretty good at it. She only knew he enjoyed playing piano.
"It's not like he was sitting there bragging about football," said Bertucci.
When Karam was ready to leave that night, he said he wanted to give Breanna's family Memphis football tickets. That was the first time he told them he played football.
"Oh," said Bertucci, "will Bree be able to see you play?"
Karam reportedly only answered with a smile and a simple "yes."
Bertucci said she went home and Googled him just to figure out what position he played. She also found out just how good he was. His completion rate of 64.7 percent is a school record.
Karam 1,895 yards last year and 14 touchdowns compared to only three interceptions. He is a senior who will probably not get much attention from NFL scouts, but as he has proved with St. Jude and with Breanna, he does not need attention, nor does he want it.