Two-year-old Conner Clary refuses to eat.

He doesn’t feel hungry and rarely shows interest in food. But every cell in his body thirsts for nutrients, and his blood is dangerously low in iron – a deficiency that inspires the toddler’s strange cravings.

“He will sit in the corner and chew on his dad’s work boots … Very gross,” his mother, Erin Clary, said. “His iron is very, very low, I can tell. He’s still chewing on the boots and sucking on the rocks, you know … he’s starting to do that now.”

Just two months ago, Conner was healthy and happy. He was a bit small for his age and didn’t like eating solid foods, but otherwise, his mother said, he was fine.

That is until one day in April when Conner became pale and his lips turned blue. Erin Clary and her husband, Brandon, rushed him to the hospital, where doctors discovered Conner was severely anemic. His blood had lost the ability to transport oxygen from his lungs to his body. His heartbeat had become weak and irregular. On top of those problems, they found that his body couldn’t absorb nutrients.

Conner was diagnosed with “failure to thrive,” a frightening term that means he’s not growing at the expected rate. Erin Clary said she never saw it coming.

Ottawa toddler Conner Clary, 2, holds tight to his mother, Erin Clary, as his aunt, Lisa Shaver, Emporia, helps to administer a high-calorie nutritional supplement into his feeding tube Wednesday afternoon at his home. Shaver's son, Isaac Fredricks, stands in the hallway. Conner, who has been diagnosed with failure

“We had no idea. He’s always been a real happy baby, and he’s still really happy. Conner didn’t show any signs of anemia or anything like that,” Clary said.

Since the diagnosis, the Clarys, who live in Ottawa, have spent the majority of their time at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. After 10 blood transfusions and a bout with rotavirus, Conner is doing better. Every three hours, Erin feeds him a liquid diet through tubes that run through his nose and down to his stomach.

Just this week, she said, Conner was able to handle his full daily dose. He’s also feeling better and playing “just like any other kid,” Erin Clary said.

What the Clarys don’t know is whether Conner will be able to produce healthy red blood cells. They also don’t know how much all the treatments, appointments and hospital stays will cost them.

“Brandon and I are kind of those people who fall through the cracks. We’ve got mounting medical bills … you don’t qualify for assistance. You’re not poor enough for assistance; you’re not wealthy enough to pay for all of it. It’s a huge problem,” Erin Clary said.

The family has insurance, but it won’t cover the costs. And since Conner became sick, Erin Clary hasn’t been working so that she can care for him.

Brandon Clary works as a tree trimmer and puts in long hours to make ends meet. Between bills, Conner’s health problems and caring for their 4-year-old daughter, Rileigh, the couple keeps very busy.

“It’s tough,” Erin Clary said. “It weighs on your children, your marriage; it weighs on just about everything. It’s just a big test.”

To help raise money for Conner, Erin Clary has worked with New Life and Christ Church in Ottawa to plan “Cruizin’ for Conner.” The event is an 80-mile drive for vintage cars and motorcycles that will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Auto Zone in Ottawa. The cruisers will make pit stops in Vassar, Lyndon and Beto Junction before ending at Buzzard’s Pizza in Pomona for a pizza feed. There will also be door prizes and a cash drawing open to anyone in attendance.

Sheila Cheasbro, who works at the church and is the event’s organizer, said her goal was to raise at least $3,000 in participant fees alone. She said 100 percent of proceeds will go to the Clarys.

Erin Clary said she wants to make the cruise an annual event. Future proceeds would benefit middle-class residents who don’t qualify for financial aid but can’t pay their medical bills. She also wants to educate parents about getting their children regular checkups, even if they don’t seem sick.

“This is more common than not,” Clary said. “A lot of people don’t know the signs. I sure didn’t. And my son didn’t even show the signs.”

Helping out

If you’d like to make donations to Conner, send them to:

Cruizin’ for Conner
c/o New Life in Christ Church
2638 Kingman Rd.
Ottawa, KS 66067

Or, if you’d like to download registration forms for “Cruizin’ for Conner,” visit www.creativeflairdesign.com/rideforconner