“My plans completely flipped from being student body vice president and captain of my high school swim team to going through the hardest months of my life that changed my life forever.”

Clay Patterson was only 16 when he was diagnosed with Leukemia AML. His junior year of high school involved several rounds of intense chemotherapy and weeks in the hospital for each round at hospitals far from home.

“I spent the first part of my treatment in the Greenville hospital system, where I endured 3 rounds of intense chemotherapy, spending upwards of three weeks in the hospital each round. After my third round of chemotherapy, my doctors decided that it was the best chance at survival to receive a bone marrow transplant. Since MUSC is the only hospital in the state that treats bone marrow transplant patients, I was forced to travel to Charleston to try and get the best care possible,” Clay said. “My time spent in Charleston included an extended stay in the hospital that lasted over 47 days and months of traveling back and forth between Spartanburg and Charleston weekly in order to receive care.”

Clay said throughout his treatment, traveling and staying in hospitals hours from home gave him a firsthand look at the emotional and financial toll that childhood cancer can have on a family.

“Not only does childhood cancer deeply affect the person who is diagnosed with it, but it also affects others who are close to the child. Many of my friends and family spent enormous amounts of time and money in order to support me through my treatment. However, none of those who helped through this battle ever asked for any sort of thanks or recognition for their aid,” Clay recalled. “The people who knew me and decided to give their assistance were simply doing what they could because they knew the battle I faced was not something I could take on by myself.”

Today, we’re happy to report that Clay is a cancer survivor. He immediately began to give back, hosting the first Kidz in Lids Day that his high school had ever had.

“I am very proud of my high school for hosting Kids in Lidz because it is a great way to show that anybody of any age can help assist families battling childhood cancer. Knowing the battle that I had to go through during my treatment, I understand that it takes so much more than a child or family to battle pediatric cancer, and my main goal now is to try and assist in any way possible those who are going through a similar journey.”

Not only is Clay now considered cancer free, but he’s also one of Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas phenomenal interns this summer! He says he wanted to give back to CCP.

“Now that I have entered a new stage of life as a cancer survivor, I have done several things to give back to those who have helped me on my journey as well as try and give back to other children and their families who are battling pediatric cancer now,” Clay said. “Since so much of my treatment was spent traveling all over the state, and staying in all different hospitals, my family was very blessed to have Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas there to support us financially and emotionally as we underwent this journey.”

We’re so grateful to Clay for his help this summer and for giving his time and energy to our organization.

If you’d like to volunteer or donate to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas, please click on the links provided.

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