Meet the Temple freshman guard soaring as much off the court as he is on it

NorQuante Berry has been a welcome addition to Temple’s men’s basketball team, even as the redshirt freshman has to deal with serious matters off the court.

In addition to making sure he’s checking the boxes for head coach Adam Fisher, the Providence transfer, who goes by Quante, routinely checks in on a pair of family members with lupus, an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own tissues.

Berry’s sister, Nora, and his mother, Quran Nalory, are dealing with the disease. Nora was diagnosed first, in 2016.

“I really didn’t understand what lupus was,” Berry said of his sister’s diagnosis. “I was just sad for her. Like, I wasn’t understanding, and I know she wasn’t understanding what was going on. I was scared.”

Nalory thought she may also have lupus, but she never sought to get tested. It took three years after Nora’s diagnosis, but, Berry said, Nalory found out she had it, too.

“It’s tough, but I think it’s a lot better for them [to be together],” Berry said. “My sister isn’t alone. She’s at home with my mom. My mom has seen how hard my sister has fought and sees it as possible. They can be themselves. They can be normal.”

The family’s Cleveland, Tenn., community rallied around them around the time of Nora’s diagnosis. Through strong support, Nora helped create a brand for lupus awareness six years ago called Happy Souls.

Quante’s coming to Temple also has been a great for the Berry family because the Lupus Foundation of America is in Jenkintown. Berry said Nora and Quran have connected with the organization about their stories. Berry hosted a Lupus Foundation event earlier in the season, and most of the men’s players were there to support him.

Just a day before Berry sat down with The Inquirer, he received incredible news:

Nora was in remission.

“I was just excited to hear the news,” Berry said. “We normally don’t discuss it that often or try to make it that big of a topic. [Besides], I talk to my mom and sister every day, and there’s a lot more other things going on.”

While Nora‘s lupus is in remission, that is not the case with Quran. The key difference is that Nora’s diagnosis came at a young age while Quran’s did not. As a result, their treatments were different: Nora underwent chemotherapy and Quran is on a medicinal regimen.

There is no cure for lupus, but Nora being in remission is a huge step. While Quante continues to play basketball, his family will always be on his mind, and they will continue to spread awareness.