Meet Clayton, who did a little dance when the time came for his liver transplant
When the then-3-year-old and his family received the diagnosis, Children’s Health℠ was there to care for their physical, emotional and mental needs.
Clayton knew more than the average kid about his body’s anatomy before he started kindergarten. As a then 4-year-old, he was curious about his liver and why he needed a new one.
And when the day of his liver transplant arrived in 2023, he didn’t feel anxious or afraid because Child Life specialists at Children’s Health℠ helped make Clayton’s imminent transplant less scary for him and his parents.
Instead, he did his “new liver dance” in the elevator, his mom, Beth, said.
“Obviously, it was such a heavy moment but seeing Clayton, react that way was just beautiful,” she said.
It started with stomach pains
Clayton’s parents, Beth and Travis, first noticed their son was in pain the weekend after Easter. He woke up complaining about his stomach and continued acting strangely throughout the day.
A trip to urgent care only yielded some medicine for what seemed to be a stomach bug, but his condition didn’t improve. Separate visits to their pediatrician and to the ER, where “they ran every test under the sun,” also failed to provide any answers, Beth said.
“At the second appointment with the pediatrician, they told us, ‘Hey, kids get sick,’ and we were sent home” she said.
Throughout the next month, Beth and Travis kept track of their son’s symptoms: stomach pain, long fevers and lots of crying.
“It was beyond your average meltdown. He was really trying to express how uncomfortable he was,” Beth said.
She also decided to switch pediatricians. Their new physician had originally ruled out cancer but then found masses in Clayton’s body after running a sonogram.
His family decided to rush to Children’s Health, eager to figure out what was going on.
After running some tests, an oncologist asked Beth and Travis to step out of the room to talk. It was close to midnight, well past Clayton’s bedtime. A couple of nurses stepped in to entertain him and help make him comfortable.
I remember they sat on the bed with him; they started talking with him and I felt comfortable stepping out of the room. He was in great hands.
— Beth, Clayton's mother
Outside his room, the oncologist shared that Clayton might be facing hepatoblastoma — a very rare type of liver cancer that only happens in about one in a million children. However, they needed to run some more tests to rule anything else out.
About a week later, physicians confirmed what they had suspected. The stage 4 hepatoblastoma diagnosis came a few months ahead of Clayton’s fourth birthday.
Helping a 4-year-old understand his diagnosis
The cancer hadn’t spread to other parts of his body, but the damage to his liver was severe.
Time seemingly sped up for Clayton’s parents as his care team laid out his treatment plan, which included nearly a dozen rounds of chemotherapy and, eventually, a liver transplant.
Physicians heard his family’s concerns and answered every question with empathy, kindness and compassion.
But a big question lingered in Beth’s mind: How was she going to explain cancer or a liver transplant to a 4-year-old?
With the help of Child Life specialists at Children’s Health, Beth found the words to explain to her son what was going on with his body. She also spoke to him about his eventual liver transplant, the special tools his physicians would use and how it would happen.
As the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas, Children’s Health is committed to high-quality patient care and supporting the patient family experience, meaning team members care for the whole family. Many of the programs and services, such as Child Life, Pet Therapy and Social Work, are available to patient families come at no cost, instead relying on the support of generous donors who help make a difference in the lives of North Texas children and beyond.
Clayton’s name was on the transplant list for about three weeks. In late September, his family received a call to rush to the hospital — his new liver was ready.
“They did such a great job of preparing him for this moment. He wasn't anxious or nervous,” Beth said. “The positivity of the staff and the transparent way they helped us communicate with him really made a difference.”
The surgery took about 13 hours, and Clayton’s recovery took even longer. Rehab was rough for Clayton and his parents, who saw him struggle more than ever.
His care team at Children’s Health supported his family’s attempts to get him out of bed by arranging scavenger hunts and playtime in the hospital’s halls. To help Clayton gain weight, they also trained his parents on how to use a feeding tube with a doll.
After three weeks, Clayton went home, where he immediately became more animated. He wanted to play and was suddenly able to move and walk on his own. But his journey to recovery wasn’t over.
Supporting patients and their families in coping with hospitalization
After a long hospital stay, rare illness and major surgery, Clayton’s parents and care team could see he was struggling emotionally. A Child Life specialist recommended play therapy, which can help improve the mental health and well-being of kids who are coping with complex medical situations.
“So much happened to him that he couldn't say no to, and he was angry,” Beth said.
Clayton’s play therapy sessions at Children’s Health were instrumental as he processed everything he had been through.
His mom also became close to Kelsey, a play therapist she met during her son’s care journey, who later provided support and guidance as her family navigated life after Clayton’s liver transplant.
Clayton’s parents felt heard and supported by his care team, who regularly checked in on how they were doing. They became a source of comfort during what felt like an isolating experience for the family.
“I don’t know what I would have done without them,” she said. “Very few parents can relate or give advice for what we were going through. They were phenomenal in helping us through it all.”
Clayton has since gone back to being a kid again, and his parents are incredibly thankful they get to think about his future.
Today, he loves building Legos, listening to the “How to Train Your Dragon” books and Greek mythology.
He’s also talkative, curious and observant.
“He asks so many questions, sometimes more than I’m willing to answer,” Beth said.
But mostly, he’s incredibly brave.
He’s doing so well today and understands all that he’s been through thanks to play therapy and the Child Life team. He’s experienced more than most 6-year-olds. We appreciate the role everyone at Children's Health played in giving him a second chance at life.
— Beth, Clayton's mother
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