“A Blessing and a Respite”: How Joyce’s Place Met One Family in Their Darkest Days

It just seemed like a regular sinus infection. Until it wasn’t.

Clayton Vaughan was a student at the University of Georgia, home for Christmas break. When he started experiencing migraines, his mother, Lori, took him to the emergency room, thinking he was just dealing with a bad sinus infection.

“When [the ER] did a CAT scan and saw a mass, it took me completely by surprise,” Lori recalls. 

On Christmas Eve in 2024, Clay was diagnosed with a pineal germinoma, a rare type of brain cancer that had been growing since he was a fetus. 

The news of cancer was devastating enough, but the cancer’s location hit Lori’s heart hard.

“He is just so smart. He was always going to be a ‘brainiac.’ He was 19 years old and had such a bright future. I didn’t want anything to jeopardize that.

“We were flown to North Fulton, and immediately [the doctors] had to put in a shunt because the tumor was blocking the flow of his cerebrospinal fluid. He had tremendous hydrocephalus. None of the doctors could believe that he was functioning.”

On top of the shock of the diagnosis, Lori and her husband had to figure out treatment. They lived 55 miles south of Atlanta and knew Clay would need regular appointments and treatments downtown.

“The last thing I needed to be worried about was, ‘How am I going to get through Atlanta traffic? How are we going to get up there when he’s sick, nauseous and vomiting? Am I going to have to pull over on the interstate with traffic flying by?’”

But then Clay’s doctor recommended Christopher’s Haven (now Joyce’s Place), a nonprofit that provides furnished apartments where cancer patients and their families can stay during treatment. 

In addition to the living spaces, families have access to full amenities, including a pool and fitness center. There’s a grocery store within walking distance. There’s also a central, private community area called “The Loft” where all the families staying there can gather, their children can play and they can connect and feel supported through the shared experience.

For Lori, the location and the privacy were critical during Clay’s treatment. With an apartment just steps away from the Emory Proton Therapy Center, Clay was able to walk to his treatments, and when he was up to it, he and Lori made memories together in Atlanta.

They visited the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, Zoo Atlanta, the College Football Hall of Fame and so much more.

Joyce’s Place also offered Clay and Lori opportunities to interact with other patients and families when they chose and to retreat to their own private space where they could rest and welcome their immediate and extended family. 

“The family room provided extra solace for my parents and sister and Clay’s brother and father to visit and eat with us,” Lori shared. “Our room was perfect for us — quiet and clean. We watched movies together and enjoyed morning coffee on our balcony.” 

Though Clay’s cancer was treatable, the journey was far from easy, physically, emotionally or mentally.

“We met so many kids on Easter Sunday,” she explained. “We were in the hospital getting chemo, and there were 19 other children in the hospital with brain tumors. The doctor told us Clay was the only one who would be treatable. It was devastating to meet and see these other children.”

The privacy their apartment provided became a haven for Clay to not only recover from treatment but also process the heaviness of diagnoses all around them.

Throughout Clay’s stay at Joyce’s Place, Steve Bostic, a Joyce’s Place board member, and his wife stopped in frequently to encourage Clay throughout his stay.

“They made us feel like family,” Lori shared. “Steve and Clay have so much in common. We would sit in the family room and have long discussions about the future. They really took us under their wing and even came to Clay’s bell ringing.”

Clay’s treatment was aggressive, draining and difficult but ultimately successful. 

On his next Easter Sunday, Clay wasn’t walking the halls of the hospital or carrying the weight of his diagnosis on his shoulders. He sat in church, smiling. 

After putting the future on pause, he’s now back in school and thriving.

Recently, Clay and Lori penned a letter to Joyce’s Place, their “home away from home” during Clay’s treatment.

“Thank you again for providing such a warm, supportive and healing environment,” it reads. “Your kindness and care will never be forgotten.”

At Joyce’s Place, families like the Vaughans are finding peace and privacy when their world feels so uncertain. 

“Every donation to Joyce’s Place Atlanta stays in Atlanta and is directly used to support the comfort and care of families of children and adults battling cancer,” shared board member Steve Bostic. “You know that the money that you’ve earned and that you’re giving has a real impact.”

Lori added, “The entire experience was a blessing and a respite for us in a very difficult time. We thank the Lord for providing us with it.”
If you would like to support cancer patients and their families through Joyce’s Place, click here to donate to their fund.