New York Islanders & Northwell Health Host Media Day for Children Facing Cancer.
[Music] Just to hear your child has cancer, it’s an expression that no parent ever wants to hear. I was in shock. My husband and I both were. It took a while to let it sink in. He kind of came out of nowhere, blindsiding us. I remember it like it was yesterday. Like it just basically went numb. It was probably the worst moment of our life. We spent the better part of our lives in the hospital for about 7 months. Burke Hospital, Work Hospital. That was kind of our our lives. Riley was only 17 months when he was diagnosed. We lived in the hospital for seven months while he was in treatment. He learned to walk in the hospital for a long time after she was diagnosed. It felt very isolating. We felt very alone, but we’re not alone. We’re surrounded by support. All along the way, we’ve had incredible support from Northwell and the doctors at Cohen’s Children’s. [Music] It’s nice to see organizations come out and and support something that a lot of people don’t want to admit is out there. I’ve been an Islanders fan my whole life. So to see my little one dressed up in full gear, getting to take photos in the locker room, it’s just amazing cuz I want her to have everything in the world. When I told him I got the call and that this was going to happen, he was excited. He goes, “Can I come home from uh school early today so I could go get a haircut?” We’re really excited to have her experience things that are special. I think she’s missed out on certain things. So, for Northwell to sort of choose her and for us to do something together, it means a lot to us. We saw his true personality come out where he was smiling and giggling and laughing and just seeing the sparkle in his eyes. Um, I felt like, you know, it was truly his personality coming through and just being a kid and just being purely happy. It makes me feel good that I’m here and I get to do this. Two years ago, we were in a totally different position. It was tough. And uh it’s just awesome that the Islanders, Northwell, all these people, what they do for these kids is absolutely amazing. Treatments will improve and outcomes will improve. Things like childhood cancer can really be a thing of the past. [Music] [Applause] Down. He made the same opponent. Every dollar makes a difference for every family. Pediatric cancer needs as much funding and help as it can get. So for the Islanders in North to do that, that’s like an amazing thing. Go Islanders. We need those saves. Yes. Yes. Yes. [Music]
On October 28th, the #Isles and Northwell Health turned UBS Arena into an Islanders Media Day experience, giving children from Cohen Children’s Medical Center and others in our community facing cancer a chance to step into the spotlight. 💜
