My appointment ended with good results and a sense of accomplishment. I was weak but coming along as expected. Dr. Dave was pleased with my progress. Enough with that…let’s go meet the Flyers! Dr. Dave would be the MC for the day. He was very excited.
The office waiting room was cleared out and set up for the event. Mostly fold up chairs with a podium at the front. I recognized many of the players. As I wrote before, hockey was a big part of my life. A passion of mine since I was nine years old. My Dad took me to my first game ever… Flyers vs Minnesota North Stars..1969. I watched the North Stars Goalie, Gump Worsley, take a slapshot right to the forehead. Goalies didnt wear face masks yet. Idiots. Passed out flat on the ice, blood everywhere. I was hooked. My Dad and I took up a spot halfway from the front now along the window wall of the waiting room. I had a baseball cap covering my bald head and a surgical mask across my face. There were maybe fifty people there including two other Leukemia patients that I recognized from my appointments. After the meet, the Flyers players would gown up and head to the unit.
Terry Murray, the Flyers coach, along with many players from the team were there. Eric Desjardins, John LeClair, Michel Petit, Chris Therein, Danius Zubrus, Mikael Renburg, Vinny Prospal, Rod Brindemour and many others. They looked so young. Dr. Dave opened up the day with a welcome and a speech that opened the players eyes to the research, treatment options, costs, patient outcomes and the overall operations of a cutting edge cancer center. Pretty good showing Dr. Dave. He had a few of the other Doctors speak along with some of the administration and big donors to the center. Then he stuck it to me. ” I would like to introduce you to a fellow hockey player and our most recent graduate from the transplant unit”. ” Come on up Jeff”. Holy shit.
He didn’t warn me. I wasn’t prepared to give a speech! I looked awful! So, here goes nothing. I looked out at the room and began to speak. I thanked them all for coming today and how much it means to everyone there that they use their time and celebrity to further the cause raising money, awareness and support for the Leukemia Society of America and the Barry Ashbee Center. I told them that besides not being able to see my family while I was recuperating, that I missed being on the ice so much. Dr. Dave stepped in and guaranteed me that I would be ready for the next season. They all clapped and shouted encouragement. “Thanks Dave”. And then I hit them. I said, ” Never take for granted every second that you get to be on that ice. You are some of the best players in the world”. ” You’ve worked hard and prove yourselves every game. That talent is a privilege that most of us will never have or know”. “As a player most of my life, I respect you guys so much, its a tough game. For me, I wish every day, that sooner or later I will be able to lace my skates up again and play the game that I love so much”. Bam! There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. They were all crying. Big babies. A very emotional moment. I held back my tears the best that I could. Dr. Dave gave me a hug as the players and attendees were all standing and giving me a heartfelt ovation. I made my way back to my spot along the wall with my Dad and sat down on the chair. Rod Brindemour, the current coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, came up to me and gave me a big hug. He leaned in and said ” Great job bud, I know you will be out there next year kicking ass”. A bunch of other players came over to shake my hand and offer their best wishes. We got some autographs and mingled some more before the guys had to head to the Bone Marrow Transplant unit. It was a good day.
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