LDL. Alabama Teen Cleighton Strickland Remains in Recovery After Traumatic Car Accident
It has been two months since 18-year-old Cleighton Strickland, a 2025 graduate of Daphne High School in Alabama, was involved in a life-changing car accident in Auburn on November 5, 2025.
Cleighton suffered a traumatic brain injury and remains at Shepherd Center in Atlanta in a semi-conscious state. His recovery has been challenging, but his family continues to hold onto hope and faith.
Cleighton’s mother, Amy Strickland, shared a recent update:
“We are weary, and sending updates knowing people will pray helps us. They are going to do some procedures to try to loosen Cleighton’s hands and arms so they can straighten them. An ENT will check his trach area, and if possible, cap it and remove it in a week. Cleighton weighs 112 lbs and is weak. We still need him to fully wake and make purposeful movements. The Shepherd Center is wonderful, and the staff have plans. We just need prayers, especially for Mary Claire [his girlfriend] and Gregory [his brother].”
Amy added that Gregory has taken the semester off from Auburn University to help care for his brother, while Cleighton’s girlfriend Mary Claire visits whenever possible, alongside other family members including his grandmother. “This boy is loved,” Amy emphasized.
The family describes Cleighton’s recovery as a “rollercoaster,” with moments of progress and challenges alike. Yet, despite the difficulties, they are thankful he is still with them and remain hopeful for the future.
The Stricklands are asking the public to continue lifting Cleighton, his family, and the staff at Shepherd Center in prayer as he faces the long road of rehabilitation.
