When Delaney was a sophomore in high school, she was a two-sport varsity athlete. Playing field hockey and lacrosse, she spent most of her time practicing with her teammates. In March, she came down with a cold that never went away. Preparing for Central Dauphin’s home-opener against State College, their rival, she refused to miss the game. On Wednesday, she played in her lacrosse game with a cold. Worried that Delaney had mono, her mother took her to get bloodwork the next day. On Friday, Delaney and her parents, Julie and Steve, were at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital for testing. Four days after her home-opener lacrosse game, Delaney was diagnosed with High-Risk B-Cell Leukemia.
“They say your world changes in a split second, it literally did.”
The next day, Delaney took her first dose of chemotherapy. Delaney “played a lacrosse game on Wednesday and was in the hospital on Friday. It was unbelievable.” Delaney, Julie, and Steve stayed in the hospital for two and a half weeks after her diagnosis. After their initial inpatient stay, they were in and out of the hospital 3 to 4 times a week for seven months. In August, they transitioned to 5 days of inpatient treatment and 7 days of outpatient. She finished her sophomore year through online school.
Delaney didn’t let her diagnosis get in the way of her life. During chemotherapy, she attended lacrosse games on the sidelines to support her team, and she spent her summer coaching a swim team between treatments. She is now the manager of her field hockey team and attends every game that she can.
“She hasn’t let it slow her down at all. It has surely tried; she’s been sick. She’s a 16-year-old girl who’s lost all her hair. It’s been traumatic and life-altering for her, but you would never know it.”
After losing her hair, Delaney chose a wig with a meaningful backstory. On the day that Delaney was admitted to Hershey, the daughter of a family friend of the Clemens’ family passed away from cancer. Delaney wore her wig to share her story and keep her memory close.
When Delaney sets her mind to something, there is not much that can stop her. In order to go to Homecoming, the chemotherapy toxins had to be cleared from her body in a short period of time. Delaney chugged as much water as possible, ate lots of protein, and did endless laps around the hospital. She was released from the hospital the day before homecoming and enjoyed the dance with her friends.
Within 24 hours of her diagnosis, Delaney’s teammates banded together to support her. They created Be Positive, an organization to raise money and show their support for Delaney’s journey. Represented by a green ribbon to support her team’s colors and her sports numbers, Be Positive sold hundreds of shirts within weeks of her diagnosis. In just 6 months, Be Positive has raised over $20,000 for Four Diamonds.
With Delaney’s diagnosis, Four Diamonds stepped in immediately. Four Diamonds not only made sure they never paid a medical bill but also provided meal vouchers and music therapy during her spinals. As Penn Staters, Delaney’s parents, Julie and Steve, knew about the impact that Four Diamonds had, but feeling the relief of Four Diamonds’ support was indescribable.
Delaney was dancing for Central Dauphin High School’s Mini-THON at the time of her diagnosis, so she Zoomed into the event where they did a special piece on her. She felt the support of the community rallying around her, wearing Be Positive shirts.
While the community rallied around Delaney to show their support, one person went above and beyond to be there for her. Mira, Delaney’s best friend since age 3, is there every step of the way. She spends nights in the hospital and holds Delaney’s hand during spinal taps. Mira keeps Delaney connected to her normal life and stays by her side through thick and thin.
Delaney is in an intense phase of treatment; she spends five days inpatient for chemotherapy, and seven days outpatient. Delaney has one more inpatient chemotherapy treatment before she transitions into immunotherapy for a month. She has two more intense rounds of chemotherapy before she begins around two years of maintenance treatment.
Delaney is now a distinguished honors student and is balancing a difficult treatment schedule with her schoolwork and managing the field hockey team. She hopes to get her port out to be able to play field hockey and lacrosse for her senior year.
Julie and Steve are proud Penn State alumni and raised their three kids to be Penn State fans as well. Their son Cooper is a Penn State freshman, and Delaney hopes to follow in his footsteps.
To families who just received a diagnosis, the Clemens family says to accept the support you are offered. Every day is different, and it is impossible to plan. Be patient, navigate it the best you can, and accept the help from your community. Julie also recommends to “invest in a good egg crate mattress for your hospital stays.” From comfier nights in the hospital to raising thousands of dollars for Four Diamonds, the Clemens family has felt the support of the community while Delaney continues to find normalcy in the challenging time.
To ensure that THON is able to donate 96 cents of every dollar raised to Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, we heavily rely on donor support. These donations provide us the resources to create endless memories for our Four Diamonds families & foster a deep love & connection to our mission for our volunteers through Pre-THON Events, alternative fundraisers, & THON Weekend.
