Manchester’s Clay Riddle
Clay is an always-smiling 5-year-old who is crazy about cars, loves to play T-ball, swim, and show off his latest dance moves and ninja kicks. He’s the little brother to Karsyn and son to Brad and Katy. He’s the kind of child who is so full of joy, that it’s hard to be around him without smiling. Clay also has Crohn’s disease. There’s a reason it’s referred to as a silent disease because if you looked at Clay, you’d have no idea that he suffered from an autoimmune inflammatory illness.
He was diagnosed at the tender age of 2, and since his diagnosis has endured a difficult journey of blood transfusions, biopsies, hospitalizations, and test after test that didn’t share insight into what was really going on. It wasn’t until a medical test revealed a moderate level of colitis that Clay was given a formal diagnosis.
Many treatments were tried, with no avail. A feeding tube that was supposed to allow Clay’s gut to rest instead made for 10-15 trips to the restroom every night. From steroids to crushed up pills in applesauce and liquid medicine that tasted awful –many treatments were tried and none seemed to help. As Clay’s mother Katy says, “It’s devastating to see your child go through any amount of pain, and to this day if we could trade places with him, we would.”
Clay now endures Remicade infusions every four weeks. Says Katy, “The infusions are rough, but he always recovers and makes the best of his long visits by coloring or playing with Legos or Hot Wheels. He’s brave. He’s resilient. He’s tough. We would never wish this experience on anyone, but we know the bravery, resilience and toughness this disease has caused him to develop are gifts that will allow him to face many future adversities. Clay may not realize it at his young age, but he’s already our hero. We can’t wait to see everything he will accomplish, and although Crohn’s disease may slow him down, we will not let it take away his zest for life. We are thrilled that he was selected as this year’s Pediatric Honored Hero and are proud to advocate for a CURE.”
Take Steps is Crohn’s & Colitis Foundations largest nationwide event dedicated to finding cures and raising awareness for digestive diseases. Our events offer an incredible day for family, friends and the community to celebrate all of the efforts that have been put forth in raising funds towards our mission. It is a day that combines high energy and fun with access to valuable information and education. More than 60,000 peopled walked for cures last year, raising nearly $11 million for mission-critical research and patient support programs.
For more information on how to get involved with Take Steps and to find a 2019 walk site nearest you, please visit www.cctakesteps.org or contact Kim Kaplan at 646-618-2429.
