SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes will be welcoming a very special guest to Avaya Stadium Friday, Sept. 24 ahead of Sunday’s match against Real Salt Lake. Oakland native Harlem Clemons, the club’s honorary captain for Sunday, will be stopping by training tomorrow to meet the team and hang out with them around the stadium. We encourage all fans to follow our social media accounts as we document his visit!
Harlem, nine years old, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at five years old. Harlem’s parents always knew he was tough, but even they were shocked by his undaunted strength during round after round of chemotherapy. The doctors warned them that he would lose hair, weight and energy as side effects from the drugs he was taking, but throughout those six months, Harlem remained just as strong and lively as ever.
Today, he is in fourth grade at a bilingual school, where the majority of his lessons are in French, and he is a powerhouse on both the track and soccer field. Like many kids his age, Harlem’s favorite time of the year is Christmas. But Harlem and his family are now celebrating a new holiday: December 27, the day Harlem’s doctors told him he was cancer free.
