Every turn in the tragic story was more heartbreaking than the one before it. Finally, some goods news.
Two years ago, Colin Clive '14 was diagnosed with brain cancer which required chemotherapy and more recently, experimental surgery. Weeks ago, his mom, Barbara, passed away. Days later, his dad, Dave, died of a heart attack at the wake. Colin is an only child and now without any immediate family left. But, his Siena family has raced to his side, beginning with Ken Carpenter '15.
Carpenter played lacrosse with Clive at Siena, and they were teammates at the same high school before that. In the past weeks, Carpenter and other friends set up a schedule where people can sign up to donate home-cooked meals, or order food, or provide gift cards. Carpenter is also involved with the GoFundMe page. The organizers set an original goal of $350,000 - they raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars in the first day.
"We started this to make sure that Colin doesn't have to deal with mourning the loss of his parents, battling cancer and worrying about finances. No one should have to have that burden on their shoulders."
Ken Carpenter '15
Word quickly spread beyond Clive's immediate Siena family. When Justin Clemenza '04 of Barstool Sports heard the story, he asked his more than 96,000 Twitter followers to help. Many of them did. The story then made its way into People. The GoFundMe has now raised more than $775,000. The money will be applied toward Clive's medical bills and long-term care. Any unused funds will be donated to The National Brain Tumor Society in the Clive family name.
The current Siena lacrosse team and the entire alumni network have also been active in supporting Clive. On January 22, Fr. Dennis Tamburello, O.F.M., held a virtual prayer service for Clive from the Grotto.
"The past few days it seems like he’s gaining his spirits and will be moved by all the love and support he’s getting from people in the Siena community and across the country. The cancer did affect his ability to process events, and it will take some time. But we’re going to get him better day by day."
Ken Carpenter '15
"The best part of Siena is its community. It’s tight knit. It’s MacClosky Square. Anyone is invited in. Barstool Sports is that same kind of community. Anytime someone needs help, we rally. I knew Siena Saints would see this story and be inspired. And I knew Barstool would answer the call. The response has been overwhelming. But it’s also exactly what I expected.”
Justin Clemenza '04
