“Don’t let pride or fear stand in the way. If you’re struggling, The Star Center is a place that truly sees you—all of you. They’re not just here to fix a problem. They’re here to help you live the life you were created to live. I’m living proof of that.”
Meet Clay
Empowered
to keep
SERVING!
For Clay Elliott, ministry isn’t just a calling—it’s the fabric of his life. A biblical counselor and missionary leader with Kontaktmission USA, Clay has spent the last decade supporting missionaries across the globe, leading prayer teams, and offering encouragement and care. But behind his tireless work for others, Clay was quietly fighting a physical battle of his own.
Clay was born with a bone structure anomaly that has impacted his hands, feet, and spine. Over the years, he’s endured multiple major surgeries and lives with chronic pain daily. Eight years ago, things became more complex when doctors discovered the anomaly had progressed to his skull, leading to the diagnosis of a rare neurological disorder: Bilateral Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (DHSCC). Combined with Ménière’s disease, hearing loss, vertiginous migraines, and other serious health conditions, the result was debilitating—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“It got to a point where I couldn’t fake it anymore,” Clay shared. “The pain, the vertigo, the fatigue… I was struggling just to get from the bed to the couch some days, much less do my work. And my work is ministry—it’s who I am.”
Though reluctant at first, it was Clay’s wife Christy—an experienced Orientation and Mobility Specialist at The Star Center—who gently urged him to consider getting help. “She told me, ‘You don’t have to keep doing this alone,’” Clay recalled. “At first I was stubborn. I didn’t think I qualified for help. I didn’t want to admit how bad it was.”
Eventually, Clay reached out to a vocational rehabilitation counselor, who connected him with The Star Center’s Assistive Technology team. When Jennifer and Lindsay visited Clay’s office, they didn’t just bring tools—they brought hope.
“They spent hours with me, listening and truly understanding how I work, how I live, and how my disabilities affect every part of that,” Clay said. “They didn’t just see the pain. They saw me.”
What followed was a comprehensive evaluation and an assistive technology setup tailored exactly to Clay’s needs. A height-adjustable desk, larger monitor, ergonomic chair, and bone-conduction headphones were just a few of the solutions implemented. And when Clay got the call that everything had been approved, he was speechless.
“I broke down in tears,” he said. “It was like a weight had been lifted. The very things I thought were going to end my ministry were now manageable.”
The changes have been transformational. Clay now experiences less pain, greater mental clarity, and the ability to stay engaged with the missionaries he serves. “I can focus longer, listen better, and I’m not wiped out by 3 p.m. every day. I can go home and still have energy to live life—with my wife, my community, and my calling.”
He acknowledges that the journey hasn’t just impacted him—it’s brought Christy’s work and his own full circle. “Seeing her there while the team set up everything for me—it was powerful. It was two worlds colliding. The Star Center had been her life’s work, and now it had become the reason I could keep doing my life’s work.”