In 1991, at age three, Chad Juros was diagnosed with leukemia. Four years later, he relapsed and spent 17 months in the cancer ward at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. During his long stay, Chad re-learned how to walk and talk and recovered from numerous surgical procedures. His father, Donald Juros, MD, kept his son’s spirits up by teaching him magic tricks. Sadly, soon after Chad was released from the hospital, his beloved father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and passed away in 2000.
In January 2003, Chad was once again confronted with grave illness, requiring emergency brain surgery. When he recovered, he decided it was time to make his father’s dying wish his own living wish. Chad founded the nonprofit Spread the Magic Foundation to fulfill his father’s hope that he would “continue to spread the magic around the world.”
Bringing hope and inspiration to children battling cancer, the foundation presents live magic shows to children in clinical settings, distributes DVDs that teach young patients simple magic tricks and provides support to the oncology survivorship program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Today, Chad is an accomplished magician and inspirational speaker whose performances raise money for pediatric cancer care. He is dedicated to perfecting the legacy his father gave him — to keep spreading the magic.
