Quincy grad flourishes after illness

QUINCY — When Clayton Roll graduated June 1 from Quincy High School, many of his classmates didn’t know the rest of the story behind this energetic 18-year-old senior.

Sure, they knew Roll was a speedy sprinter and distance runner on the varsity track and cross country teams. They knew he served as the muscular Blue Devil mascot who ran around the basketball court with a flaming torch during home games this past season at Blue Devil Gym.

What many didn’t realize is that Roll has been battling cystic fibrosis all his life.

CF is a chronic lung disorder that causes mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract and other areas of the body. Many people with CF suffer from breathing problems and become susceptible to life-threatening lung infections and serious digestive problems.

But you wouldn’t know it simply by watching Roll as he glided down the track in a 400-meter sprint, clocking a top time of 51.2 seconds; or when he broke the 5-minute mark running the mile; or when he donned his Blue Devil outfit and painted his body blue in an effort to ignite a frenzy of cheers at QHS basketball games.

Roll just wanted to be perceived as a regular guy -- even though he faces a health condition that requires treatments the average Joe never has to experience.

Twice a day, for 45 minutes at a time, Roll has to don a special percussion vest that shakes the mucus from his lungs. During those sessions, he breathes medicines delivered through a vaporizer. He has to swallow 40 to 50 pills each day to make sure his digestive system stays on track.

These have become routine procedures for Roll, and he carries them out religiously each day, knowing he’s staying healthy longer as a result.

Nonetheless, Roll attempted for years to hide his cystic fibrosis.

“When I was little, nobody was to know. I wanted this to be as private as possible,” he said.

When he had to go to the nurse’s office before lunch to take a handful of pills, “I told everybody I had to go to the bathroom,” he said. “I wanted to be as normal as possible. I wanted everybody to think I was the same way. I played that act for a long time.”

He got away with it, too, because of his accomplishments on the track and cross country teams -- two sports that ordinarily don’t feature many athletes with lung disorders.

“I’m pretty lucky compared to a lot of people,” Roll said. “I may have cystic fibrosis, but it doesn’t seem like it. I’m in great shape. I have great lung capacity.”

He believes a lot of that has to do with the fact he runs, bikes and works out on a regular basis to try to keep his lungs functioning at an optimum level.

Roll said he realizes CF often gets worse with age, but he tries to stay focused on the positive. He knows that aerobic exercise and a comprehensive treatment plan -- like the one he’s received his entire life -- can help improve survival and quality of life for those with CF.

“Of course I’m worried about it, but you kind of have to accept that something might happen, and you could get really sick and it could become a problem,” he said. “But at the same time, you try not to think about it and try to prevent it, because I have no idea what’s going to happen in the future.”

As for now, the oldest son of David and Lynette Roll is looking forward to the future. He will start college this fall at Webster University in St. Louis with plans to run track and study communications with an emphasis on photography. He’s hoping to become a professional photographer.

“I am so ready to go to college,” Roll said.

One reason Roll chose Webster University is because he is already familiar with St. Louis. He’s been going to St. Louis Children’s Hospital regularly since he was a baby. Once he turned 18, his medical files were transferred to the adjoining Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where he will continue receiving care for his CF.

Meanwhile, Roll said he plans to keep living life to the fullest. That was his attitude when he decided to try out for cross country.

“I saw cross country as an opportunity to play some kind of sport,” Roll said.

His parents were reluctant when he first broached the idea upon entering seventh grade. His father finally offered him a challenge, saying: “If you can keep up with me from here to the telephone pole, I’ll let you try out.”

Roll accepted the challenge in an instant. “I left him in the dust,” he said.

Roll competed in cross country and track at both QJHS and QHS. He said many of his teammates didn’t realize he had CF for a long time, because he was able to hold his own in competitions.

“My lung capacity probably isn’t as good as the guy standing next to me at the line, but I’ve always just pushed through it and didn’t really use it as an excuse,” he said. “My whole goal was for nobody to say, `Oh, that kid has cystic fibrosis.’ I didn’t want to be `that kid’ up at the line. I was going to be just as fast as everybody else.”

Teammates who learned Roll had CF “didn’t treat me any different,” he said. “I was just another runner. We watched each other’s backs.”

At the end of a particularly grueling event, Roll could feel the effects on his lungs. “But everybody else was hurting just as bad,” he added. “So you just sit down for an hour and get ready for your next race.”

One of Roll’s proudest achievements came in his senior year when he applied and was selected to be the Blue Devil mascot for the 2011-12 season. It was literally a dream come true.

“When I was 6 or 7 years old, I saw my first basketball game, and I saw the Blue Devil come out,” he said. “At first, I was terrified. Then a second after that I was like, `That is so cool! I’m going to be that guy when I get older.’ “

Roll was shocked when he heard his name announced at QHS as the new Blue Devil mascot. He was also a little nervous, because he had never performed in front of several thousand people.

“The first time I walked out, I was afraid I was going to walk right back in. I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “It was so much fun, though. After I got used to it -- after the first and second time -- it got really easy. You just try not to be the guy to set the place on fire.”

Roll said he felt “very honored” to become the Blue Devil. To prepare, he worked out with weights daily to bulk up the muscles on his 5-foot, 6-inch frame.

“I didn’t want to be the smallest Blue Devil ever,” he said. “I was already the shortest, so I had to come out there with something.”