Better Lovers' drummer Clayton "Goose" Holyoak's daughter diagnosed with cancer

Less than a week ago, Better Lovers announced that Noah Taylor would step in on drums for their ongoing headlining tour as Clayton "Goose" Holyoak left to handle a family emergency.

This evening, heartbreaking details emerged regarding Holyoak's departure. Last week, Holyoak and his partner received the devastating news that their five-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Holyoak shared the following in social media post earlier this evening:

My youngest daughter Sage was diagnosed with leukemia on December 3rd, 2024. The past few days have seemed like a bad dream. Sage is my best friend. I've never felt a kind of love for another person like I do for her and her older sister. Back when I was out of work before better lovers started, I would watch her while her mom would go to work and her older sister would go to school. We spent so much time, adventures, travels, and laughs together. She really is more funny than most grown ass adults. She has such a creative mind and huge energy weather it be in the energetic or relaxed realm. Sometimes I wish I had her brain to create art. She always surprises me with her new obsessions with things because shortly after I too become obsessed. She's always one step ahead of the cool game. If I could take her place right now I would because when she grows up, she's going to really do some incredibly amazing things. Nothing means more to me than watching her grow up. This should not be happening to her and we're going to do everything possible to insure that she makes it out of this.

If you can, please consider donating. If you really can't, please keep her in your thoughts.

A GoFundMe has been set up by Holyoak's partner, Taylor Gatzke, which you can donate to below. 

The following is an update taken from the GFM page:

On December 3rd, 2024, our youngest daughter, Sage (5) was diagnosed with 'Acute Myeloid Leukemia'.

As we are still processing and navigating this challenge we've faced, we want our friends and family to have access to updates on Sage's journey. First, we want to thank every single person who has reached out, sent packages, sent food, prayed or show support in anyway. All of the support truly means more than the world to us.

Sage is doing wonderful as she is on day 5 of treatment. There are just a few more labs we are waiting on over the next few days (or weeks) regarding the extent of treatment. But as of right now, it will be about a 6 month cycle treatment for Sage.

We have a long road ahead of us, and we are just taking it day by day to be honest. It is unfathomable that our precious, perfect little girl is going through this, while it also feels like things are piling up in the corner that we're trying real hard to not focus on. Anything helps and we ask more importantly, to keep rooting and praying for our Sage Bug.