The family and loved ones of 18-year-old Cleighton Strickland are holding onto faith, hope, and any small sign of progress since a terrible car accident left him fighting for his life this past month in Auburn, Alabama.
Cleighton, the talented baseball pitcher who was a recent graduate of Daphne High School, was just beginning to embark on this new chapter in life. The move to Auburn allowed him to live with his brother and start classes at Southern Union Community College, full of promise for his future. To the friends and family who knew him best, he was driven, optimistic, and full of energy, always ready to chase his dreams on and off the field.
Late that November 5th night, Cleighton’s mom, Amy Strickland, woke up to every parent’s worst nightmare
Her husband woke her quietly and informed her their son had been in a terrible car accident and was being airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Rushing to the hospital, the family found a sight no parent should ever see: Cleighton was on machines, wrapped up in bandages, and fighting for his life.
The family was informed by the doctors that Cleighton had experienced a severe traumatic brain injury and induced into a medically-engineered coma. In those early hours, the weight of fear and uncertainty felt overwhelming. However, amidst all the pain, his family held on to hope, prayer, and their faith and refused to give in to despair.
It wouldn’t be long before the first signs of Cleighton’s determination came forth, day by day: small improvements spoken of by the hospital team. A couple of days earlier, a breakthrough moment brought everyone to tears: Cleighton opened his eyes and squeezed his mother’s hand-a sign that rang through to everybody present in the room that he was fighting and willing to live.
His hospital room has become a shrine of love, support, and encouragement. More than a hundred photos of friends, teammates, and family members adorn the walls, each one cheering him on, giving him strength and motivation. Amy whispers to him every day, “Let’s go, son,” just as she did when he used to play baseball, urging him to keep going and to finish strong.
Amy portrayed Cleighton as a fighter-a man with unyielding determination who never backed down from a battle and continued with the same strength he gave the mound. And in the past few days, Cleighton has made still more improvement: He is breathing more on his own and no longer needs IV sedation, steps that brought new hope to the family and their supporters.
The Stricklands have been anchored in faith through it all. “We taught our boys to believe in miracles,” Amy said. “To trust God’s plan and never give up. We are not broken. We are believing.” Their unwavering hope, prayers, and the love surrounding Cleighton have become a source of strength-not only for him but for the whole community rallying behind him. For Cleighton, with each new day in his rehabilitation process, there comes another page in the story of personal strength and the ability to overcome adversity. His family, friends, and teammates have faith in the thought that he would now be able to overcome the challenge and regain a future that was bright and one he had always aspired for, with faith, resolve, and love.
