Ranney School basketball coach's son diagnosed with cancer

TINTON FALLS - There is an outpouring of support from the Jersey Shore basketball community for the family of Tahj Holden, the Ranney School's boys basketball coach, with the revelation that his 16-month-old son, Maxwell, is battling a form of cancer called neuroblastoma.

According to the American Cancer Society's website, neuroblastoma "is a type of cancer that starts in certain very early forms of nerve cells found in an embryo or fetus. (The term neuro refers to nerves, while blastoma refers to a cancer that affects immature or developing cells). This type of cancer occurs most often in infants and young children. It is rarely found in children older than 10 years."

John Tierney, a Ranney School assistant boys basketball coach, posted a message on Twitter on the night of March 8 with the stunning news.

“Right before the game Tuesday night, Coach Tahj had told me his son Max was in the hospital and they would be running tests the next few days. We have come to find out little Max has a cancer called neuroblastoma. Please give what you can,’’ Tierney wrote.

Tierney linked his tweet to a GoFundMe page that was created earlier in support of Maxwell Holden. As of 11:56 p.m. on March 21, approximately 1,202 people have donated $153,820, more than three times as much as the initial goal of $50,000.

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Tahj Holden, and his wife, Carrie, a sales and education manager for Boscia skincare, also have a 3-year-old son, Cole.

This was happening as the Ranney School prepared for the biggest game in school history on March 10, when it played Roselle Catholic in the NJSIAA Non-Public B State Final at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River.

Roselle Catholic defeated the Ranney School, 63-61, on a last-second play to win the Non-Public B State Title that night.

Earlier this offseason, the Ranney School won its first NJSIAA Non-Public South B sectional title on March 6 at Jackson Liberty High School when the Panthers toppled Trenton Catholic, 71-56.

Watch highlights from that game in the video at the top of the page.

Tahj Holden is a third-year coach at Ranney. He won a Shore Conference championship as a player at Red Bank Regional High School and a national championship at the University of Maryland.

Staff Writer Sherlon Christie: schristie@gannettnj.com

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