Carvers Bay community — Have surgery or die.

Those were the shocking words Carvers Bay resident Clay Owens heard from his doctor when he was hospitalized recently for cellulitis on his legs.

Owens — better known as Coach Clay because he is an assistant football coach at Hemingway High School — weighs more than 650 pounds and, according to his doctors, his life is in extreme danger unless he has gastric bypass surgery.

His situation has brought the Pleasant Hill, Carvers Bay and Hemingway communities together in an effort to raise the $30,000 needed for Coach Clay to have the surgery, hopefully before Christmas.

Owens, who has been hospitalized several times through the years with health problems related to his weight, said he is touched and amazed at the outpouring of support he has already received.

Since being discharged from the hospital, more than $2,000 has been raised thanks to donations from Ringle Heights and Midway Baptist Churches and a raffle organized by the students of Hemingway High where Owens has taught and coached for six years.

The hardest part of his ordeal, Owens said, has been accepting the generosity he is seeing.

“It has been very difficult to bite my pride and ask for help but there are times when you have to ask for help,” the coach said.

His home church, Mt. Zion Baptist on Carvers Bay Road, is helping to spearhead the fundraising efforts although several churches and organizations are involved.

His wife, Suzie, has started a Facebook page — helpclayowens — to keep her husband’s friends and family updated on the upcoming fundraisers as well as his progress.

A long weight battle

Owens said he was always “a big boy” growing up but his real weight troubles began as an adult.

He said after graduating from Pleasant Hill High School in 1996, he stopped being very active.

It was around that same time his grandmother, 70-year-old Lena Mae Grier, was shot and killed inside her small Carvers Bay convenience store.

Owens said he started to eat out of emotions which caused his weight to escalate.

As his weight climbed, his health problems increased.

He has tried many diets and successfully lost more than 30 pounds last year but doctors told him it was mainly water weight.

When he was rushed to the emergency room in late October, his blood pressure was 49 over 31.

It was during that hospital stay the doctors gave him the ultimatum.

Owens has consulted with Dr. Thomas Byrne at the Medical University of South Carolina who has agreed to perform the stomach-reduction surgery.

He admits he is scared when he thinks about undergoing the procedure.

He said he has been told there is a 25.4-percent chance of complications during the surgery.

 His wife said her faith lets her know everything is going to be OK.

“It’s all in God’s hands,” she said.

His mother, Sally Owens, said she too knows God is going to protect her son through this ordeal.

“He is the great physician,” she said.

Coach Owens said he has one goal as he thinks about the life-changing surgery.

“I just want to be normal. I just want to be able to walk into Wal Mart when people are not staring at me,” he said. “I want to coach again. Really coach. Not just sit on a chair on the sidelines.”

Extremely thankful

As the family talked about the situation just a couple of days before Thanksgiving, the conversation kept drifting back to the gratitude they feel for all who have helped.

“It’s been amazing. It’s like I have my own Owens angel crew,” the coach said of the gifts he has received so far.

Sally Owens said watching her son’s medical problems and then the outpouring of support has been “a humbling experience.

How to help

There are several events coming up that will be help with the fundraising efforts.

On Dec. 6, from noon - 2 p.m., there will be an lunch buffet at Freedom Tabernacle Church at 264 Roy Drive. Plates are $6 each with all the money going to the surgery fund.

On Friday, Dec. 4 there will be an auction at Yanks located at 1629 Hemingway Highway. The auction begins at 7 p.m. To donate items for the auction, call 558-7273 or email bryanstreasures@aol.com.

There will also be a gospel concert on Friday, Dec. 11. It begins at 7 p.m. and will take place at Carvers Bay High School.

Featured singers include the Red White Family from Conway, The Cribbs from Pleasant Hill, Suzie Dease and Susan Todd as well as other local singing groups and drama teams.

Tickets are $10 at the door or can be purchased in advance at a cost of $25 for three tickets or $30 for four tickets.

Tickets can be purchased at W.T. Owens Grocery in Pleasant Hill, Hemingway Power Equipment on Main Street in Hemingway, New Beginnings on Front Street in Georgetown, Lighthouse Christian Supply in Conway, Salon 208 in Andrews and Floyd  Miller Grocery in the Folly Grove community.

By Scott Harper

sharper@gtowntimes.com