The first signs that Clay was sick came early one morning when he woke up unable to see. He called out for help, and his mom arrived just in time to catch him as he passed out. He came to quickly, but was burning with fever. After an exam by his doctor and several tests, he was diagnosed with t-cell lymphoblastic leukemia.
After he began chemotherapy, Clay was too weak for traditional school, but was able to complete the seventh grade with FaceTime technology. The community rallied around him and his family with unparalleled generosity, love, prayer, and kindness, his mother says, and over the course of three years of treatment, Clay has triumphed like a champion, maintaining a sense of peace and joy in the face of this serious disease.