North Haven's Dante Chiappetta, 6, Joins Yale Football Team

North Haven’s Dante Chiappetta, 6, celebrated a “Draft Day” with the Yale football team Thursday where he signed his letter of intent to join the Bulldogs.

The signing was part of an effort from Team IMPACT, a Boston-based charitable organization that pairs children facing adverse health issues with vibrant, team-based collegiate support networks.

At just 1-month-old, Dante was diagnosed with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), a condition where his eyes see correctly but his brain misinterprets the images. Gaining sight at the age of 1, Dante still copes with vision sensitivity.

Dante has also been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, a non-progressive movement disorder. Verbally, Dante is able to communicate his needs with basic words and sentences and currently attends speech, occupational and physical therapy daily.

Dante, who is a big sports fan, enjoys listening to music, dancing, playing with his brothers and riding his adaptive bike.

At his “Draft Day,” Dante become an official member of the Yale football team where he will share in a season of laughter and support while creating invaluable bonds with the players and coaching staff.

ABOUT TEAM IMPACT:

Team IMPACT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Team IMPACT children are drafted on to local college athletic teams and, in effect, become official members of the team from Draft Day through to Graduation. At Team IMPACT, they envision a future where the lives of children facing the hardships associated with adverse issues and events will have access to expanded team-based support networks in order to significantly enhance their quality of life and to fill their lives with more love and laughter. Team IMPACT also strives to provide team-based organizations everywhere an easy and efficient way to have a powerful impact on the lives of children in their community. Established in 2011, Team IMPACT has already matched nearly 500 children with collegiate teams, improving the quality of life of hundreds of courageous children and touching the lives of over 10,000 student athletes. For more information, please visit: www.goteamimpact.org.

(Pictured: North Haven’s Dante Chiappetta, 6, signs his letter of intent surrounded by Yale football players)