Three young Indiana brothers have all been diagnosed with the same rare crippling condition after the trio experienced frequent headaches, according to the boys’ parents who recently opened up about the health battle.  

Lincoln, Norrin and Remley Niece have matching scars on the back of their heads after undergoing surgeries for Chiari malformation, which affects slightly less than one in 1,000 people across the globe, according to experts.

The condition occurs when the brain at the back of the skull presses through a normal opening and extends to the spinal cord, according to John Hopkins Medicine.

The symptoms include neck pain, unsteady walking, poor hand-eye coordination and dizziness among other side effects, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The boys, who live in Greenfield, each suffered frequent headaches and vomiting before being diagnosed.

“It’s pretty scary,” the kids’ father, Ron Niece told WRTV on Friday. “There is no doubt about it.”

All three brothers underwent surgeries, leaving the family emotionally drained each time.

“You just kind of become numb and go into autopilot,” mother Whitney Niece explained to the station.

“But it doesn’t make it anymore emotionally easy. Sending your kid off into surgery.”

Remley was the first Niece boy diagnosed with the condition in June 2022, but at the time didn’t need surgery, according to the Greenfield Daily Reporter, which interviewed the family in March 2024 when Lincoln was 10, Norrin was 5 and Remley was 2.

Lincoln reportedly started having headaches at 5 but they were initially thought to be tied to a congenital heart defect. A CAT scan later revealed in Feb. 2023 that he also had Chiari malformation and underwent a procedure the following month.

Remley was still struggling, including randomly falling, and went under the knife in August 2023 – the same month Norrin began having headaches before he had surgery in January, the news outlet reported.

Dr. Laurie Ackerman, of the Riley Hospital for Children, performed each of the surgeries in what is called Chiari Malformation Decompression where a little piece of the back part of the skull and a three-by-three centimeter piece of bone were removed.

“The goal of all of these things is to sort of disimpact the area,” Ackerman told the Greenfield Daily Reporter. “To allow fluid to move around there normally.”

Norrin and Remley went through complications afterward, leading to a shunt being placed so extra brain fluid can be distributed to the belly.

She noted it’s unusual for all three kids from the same family to have the condition. Doctors and scientists have been conducting research to determine if Chiarai malformations are heredity.

The youngsters have vastly improved and can mostly be “typical kids,” but with some key exceptions, so they don’t bump their heads, Whitney said.

“Just like the other day when it was really nice outside, and everybody else could go outside and ride something, Norrin is standing in the garage in tears because he can’t,” she reportedly said.

Many people with the neurological issue never experience any symptoms and medical treatment is always not required, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

The parents are speaking out to raise awareness and have worked to help other families in their shoes.

“So if we can help one other kid that maybe is struggling with headaches and they’ve been passed off several times, that’s a win in my book,” Whitney told the newspaper.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana is ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25 poll, which came out Sunday afternoon.

With its first 5-0 start since 1967, the Hoosiers joined the national rankings for the first time since 2021 preseaon poll, when they were ranked No. 17. Indiana lost 34-6 at Iowa in the 2021 season opener, dropped out of the top 25 and never returned during the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Indiana moved on from coach Tom Allen following the 2023 season and hired coach Curt Cignetti, who became the first coach to begin his Indiana tenure with four straight wins. He extended that streak to five games on Saturday with a 42-28 win over Maryland.

The Hoosiers are one of five undefeated Big Ten teams and one of two teams with a 2-0 record in conference play, along with Michigan. Indiana leads the Big Ten with 244 points scored, and Ohio State is next with 195 points.

According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI), Indiana is ranked No. 16 in the nation with a projected record of 9.9-2.3. Two ESPN analysts, Bill Connelly and Harry Lyles Jr., predict Indiana will make the College Football Playoffs.

The FPI gives Indiana a 39.6% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoffs, an 8.3% chance to win the Big Ten, a 100% chance to win six games, a 2.9% chance to make the national championship game, a 1.9% chance to win out and a 0.8% chance to win the national championship.

Next up, Indiana travels to Northwestern for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill., a temporary stadium on the lakefront that seats approximately 12,000 fans. Northwestern is 2-2 in its second season under coach David Braun following 24-5 loss at Washington on Sept. 21. The Wildcats have a bye week to prepare for the Hoosiers.

Other ranked Big Ten teams include No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Penn State, No. 10 Michigan, No. 11 USC and No. 24 Illinois. Indiana only plays two of those six teams, with a home game against Michigan on Nov. 9 and a trip to Ohio State on Nov. 23.

Here’s the full AP Top 25 college football poll.

1. Alabama (4-0)

2. Texas (5-0)

3. Ohio State (4-0)

4. Tennessee (4-0)

5. Georgia (3-1)

6. Oregon (4-0)

7. Penn State (4-0)

8. Miami (FL) (5-0)

9. Missouri (4-0)

10. Michigan (4-1)

11. USC (3-1)

12. Ole Miss (4-1)

13. LSU (4-1)

14. Notre Dame (4-1)

15. Clemson (3-1)

16. Iowa State (4-0)

17. BYU (5-0)

18. Utah (4-1)

19. Oklahoma (4-1)

20. Kansas State (4-1)

21. Boise State (3-1)

22. Louisville (3-1)

23. Indiana (5-0)

24. Illinois (4-1)

25. UNLV (4-0)

Others receiving votes: Arizona 106, Pittsburgh 42, Nebraska 30, Boston College 18, Iowa 17, James Madison 13, Oklahoma St. 8, South Carolina 8, Rutgers 7, Kentucky 6, Navy 6, SMU 4, Army 2, Colorado 1.

A former Detroit Pistons center is back in the Central Division for the time being.

Jahlil Okafor reportedly signed a deal with the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The veteran big man will get an opportunity to crack a roster and re-insert himself into the league that hasn’t seen him in action in quite some time.

The 2020-2021 NBA season was the last time Okafor showed face beyond the G League. At the time, the veteran center was suiting up for the Pistons. He spent 27 games on the court, averaging 13 minutes of playing time.

Okafor accounted for five points and two rebounds per game. He made 62 percent of his shots from the field during his short stint with the Pistons. Eventually, the Pistons moved Okafor to the Brooklyn Nets. He was a part of Brooklyn’s roster for less than a week before he was waived. While Okafor was expected to get another shot with the Atlanta Hawks, he was waived before the 2021-2022 season.

Since his Pistons stint, Okafor played in China, Mexico City, Spain, and Puerto Rico.

Earlier this week, Okafor’s G League rights were dealt to the Indiana Pacers’ affiliate. While all signs were pointing to Okafor possibly suiting up for the Indiana Mad Ants, it turned out the Pacers were willing to give him a shot.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Pacers officials “came away impressed” with Okafor’s health and conditioning after seeing him in private workouts. While the 28-year-old veteran hasn’t been competing at the NBA level recently, he’s stayed in shape since he was last seen on the Pistons.

A spot on the Pacers’ roster won’t be guaranteed for Okafor, but he’ll earn another shot.

Back in 2015, Okafor was a notable name coming out of Duke. He was the Philadelphia 76ers’ third-overall selection that year. After three seasons with the Sixers, Okafor was moved to the Brooklyn Nets. In 2018, he ended up on the New Orleans Pelicans before landing in Detroit.