When Devin Hays felt the first bump on his head, he was more concerned about finals than his health. 

“I had gotten strep twice that semester, which was really weird, but when this happened, I just thought I had a weird cold,” he said. “I was coughing, super tired and I couldn’t concentrate in class, even after a big cup of coffee. I just figured I’d push through the week.” 

But by that Friday, he had developed a third bump, and his cough had worsened. He made a plan to stop by the campus clinic that Monday morning.   

“I thought, ‘Hopefully I can get some medication to get me through finals week, and then I’ll worry about it when I get home,” Hays remembered thinking.  

What he didn’t expect was to be told he needed to go to the hospital immediately. 

“They couldn’t see my heart on the X-ray,” he said. “There was something along my trachea and mediastinum. That’s when I knew it was serious.”  

Raised in a Catholic home in Erie, Hays had drifted from his faith during middle and high school as his competitive hockey schedule pulled his family away from regular church life. 

But in the moment of medical uncertainty, something deeper stirred. 

“For the first time in my life, I just gave it up to God. I said, ‘Whatever your will is, it’s your will. Just help me get through the mental side of this.’ That was the moment of surrender,” he recalled. 

Doctors initially believed Hays had lymphoma — a curable cancer with a strong prognosis. But then came a crushing update: “They told me it wasn’t lymphoma. It was leukemia. Aggressive. Not curable. Five-year survival rate was about 50%. After that, it drops.” 

It felt like everything was slipping away. But then, unexpectedly, the biopsy results came back from a clinic in Iowa. 

“They told me the cancer was lymphoma and was curable. The only two options were: either a Mayo Clinic MD pathologist got it wrong, or something changed. I choose to believe something changed,” he shared. 

Treatment began quickly, and while the cancer responded well, chemotherapy was brutal.  

“The chemo itself almost killed me several times,” he said. “I lost all my hair. My face was puffy. I looked very ill.” 

 It was during that time that the community around him stepped in, especially at his home parish, St. Scholastica in Erie. 

“I became very close to Father Rob Wedow, and he really helped me walk through it,” Hays recalled. “The Knights of Columbus were also huge. Even when I looked sick, they treated me like everyone else. They gave me the same responsibilities as the other men, and at that time, it meant the world to me.” 

 Despite undergoing intense treatment, Hays refused to fall behind in school. 

 “I would take quizzes and exams while getting chemo,” he said. “Then I transferred into CU Boulder. By the grace of God, college is only going to take me four years with cancer and all.” 

Now in remission, Hays is pouring his energy into service and building something bigger than himself. He volunteers regularly with the CU Boulder campus ministry, helps with the youth group at St. Scholastica and remains active with the Knights of Columbus. 

“The hardest part of my cancer journey was seeing how it affected friends and family, specifically my mom, and also watching other kids go through it; I was under pediatrics through most of my treatment, and watching kids suffer is really difficult,” he shared. “That October while I was in remission but still actively receiving treatment, we dressed up and handed out candy to all of the kids that were also in the hospital.” 

This is where he founded his most ambitious effort: Hospital Homies, a nonprofit that ministers to both children and their families. 

 “I was blessed to meet Tim Tebow, who I think is a great Christian, and watching him love people really inspires me. The night before a fundraiser trip, the name ‘Hospital Homies’ popped into my head,” Hays said. “Which is too good for me to come up with, especially with chemo brain.” 

The nonprofit is now a registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to visiting children in hospitals and supporting their families.  

“We don’t hide that we’re Christians and Catholics,” Hays said. “But we also meet people where they’re at. Visiting the sick is a Corporal Work of Mercy. And sometimes those visits open the door for deeper conversations.” 

“I’m so excited to come back in 20 years as an alum and see what these students are doing,” he said.  

Immediately after graduation this month, Devin’s next venture is a startup business: a brick-and-mortar and online shop focused on collectibles, particularly precious metal coins.  

“The idea is to create a stable income that can help fund Hospital Homies,” he said. “You need means to support your mission, so this is how I hope to fund my dreams of service.” 

 Looking back, Devin sees a transformation in himself far deeper than the physical. 

“Before getting my diagnosis, hockey was definitely my idol,” he admitted. “I’m extremely grateful to have gone through this because it changed my perspective on everything. It taught me about the immense hurt in the world, but it also taught me about the extreme grace that Christ brings about through that hurt.”  

And it’s that grace Devin hopes to share for the rest of his life.  

For his own profound journey of faith-filled surrender to the Lord’s will and his deep devotion to serving others, especially those who suffer deeply, Devin Hays has been recognized as this month’s Disciple of the Month.  

Congratulations, Devin, for being named the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal Disciple of the Month!  

Do you know someone who is an exceptional steward? Nominate them here, and they could become the next Disciple of the Month!

The Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal supports a wide range of ministries that are sharing the Gospel every day.