Thomas Lill, a 5-year-old from nearby Lilly, officially signed a letter of intent to become the newest member of the Saint Francis men’s soccer program on Sept. 20. Thomas joins the Red Flash through Team IMPACT.

Team IMPACT is an organization headquartered in Boston whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.

Participants are “drafted” onto collegiate athletic teams. Established in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 700 children with teams at over 300 colleges and universitites in 43 states.

Lill, who was born prematurely, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. He was determined to be legally deaf and blind shortly after birth.

He was also diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Necro enterocolitis causes tissue in the bowel to die and PKD causes clusters of cysts to develop in the kidneys. Lill continues to battle PKD and suffers seizures.

To communicate with others, he uses sign language and braille. On Oct. 5, he will undergo the first of two cochlear implant surgeries.