CHARLOTTE — KJ Henry was among Clemson’s representatives for the ACC Kickoff on Wednesday.
And while the redshirt senior defensive end was in the Queen City to preview Clemson’s upcoming season at The Westin, along with Dabo Swinney, DJ Uiagalelei and Jordan McFadden, his heart was in North Charlotte.
Henry’s father, Keith, underwent surgery five days ago, as he received a kidney transplant.
“Pops is doing good,” Henry said Wednesday when asked about the health of his father. “We live about 20-25 minutes from here, so he’s probably chilling at home, listening and watching me all day. He’s doing great.”
With the help of his son and some of his teammates, they were able to raise money for Keith, who had been dealing with chronic kidney disease for years and found out back in February that he needed a kidney transplant.
KJ sprung into action and used his platform to publicly reveal his father’s condition. It wasn’t long thereafter that he and some of his teammates came up with a way to help cover the costs of Keith’s medical bills: an autograph fundraiser.
“That whole experience has been a blessing for my family and really myself,” KJ said. “Now, I get to dive into Help Hope Live and help other families because I know it’s not easy for every family to raise money that fast and to find a donor that fast. It even threw me by surprise how fast we were able to do it and I know that’s just not the case with everybody. I know that feeling. I know that feeling when you get that call and you have that issue and you have to try and find a quick fix. And it’s not a fun feeling. It’s been awesome.”
KJ said that it’s been a blessing for his family that his father is now in a better place and it’s opened a light for him to try to help others.
He was never afraid to ask for help from his teammates because he already knew the answer would be a resounding “Yes.” KJ already knew that people were going to help him and it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the people he was surrounded with and the type of guys that Clemson has in its locker room.
“It’s easy to ask for someone else’s help because no one’s too good,” he said, “and that’s one of the best things about being at Clemson.”
If not for a routine checkup, Keith wouldn’t be on the road to recovery. He’ll need to have at least three check-ups a week going forward, but all indications point to him being in good health. And for that, KJ and his family couldn’t be more grateful.
Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
