HOMETOWN HEROES

A TOUCHDOWN TO REMEMBER

When his son Wyatt was diagnosed at 2 years old with autism and at 7 with a rare genetic condition known as IQSEC2, Klay Camp realized Wyatt wouldn’t be able to participate in regular school activities like band or sports. Those challenges made watching him score a touchdown with the Jarrell High School football team in October even more special. “He’s part of the school as much as everyone else,” Klay says. “When people hear about the invitation to run a touchdown, it makes them really proud of the school and kids for wanting to involve him.”

Having IQSEC2 means living with developmental delays, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. Wyatt is also nonverbal and needs a wheelchair at times but his condition has never kept him from making friends. “It’s pretty amazing and incredible when kids become friends with him," Klay says. "They treat him as an equal...and are very inclusive of him. It’s inspiring and it humbles you really fast.”

Now a freshman at Jarrell High School, Wyatt’s favorite memories so far have been riding a homecoming float, attending the homecoming dance with his date, performing with his school choir at a school board meeting, and his bus driver transporting him, his mom, and grandma to his graduation when his dad and brother, who also has IQSEC2, were in the hospital. One such unforgettable moment began when Wyatt and his nurse came to watch the football team practice. Concerned Wyatt might be in the way, Klay was surprised when the nurse told him the coaches were not only fine with his son sitting on the sidelines; they wanted to give him the chance to be part of the team by running a touchdown at one of their games. “He loved it. He was all kinds of excited,” Klay says. “We are always thankful and blessed whenever opportunities for Wyatt occur.”

As he helped Wyatt put on his pads for the game against Salado in October, Klay was reminded of when his dad would do the same thing for him as a kid, something he never thought he’d get to do with Wyatt. Then came the moment when Wyatt, held up by two football players, ran a touchdown during halftime. Klay says, “Watching him run the touchdown and get cheers and clapping from both sides of the field, and then the whole team ran onto the field to congratulate him, it was just pretty amazing.”