A 10-year-old Edmonton hockey player was back on the ice Saturday for Quikcard Minor Hockey Week, after a devastating cancer diagnosis in October.
Ethan Hughes was diagnosed with stage one kidney cancer after the Thanksgiving long weekend. Tests revealed the presence of a Wilms tumour.
The minor hockey player underwent surgery and had one of his kidneys removed.
Recently, he marked his eleventh straight week of chemotherapy.
“The first thing I was thinking was ‘ask the doctor to play again.’ So I was happy when he said ‘you can play,'” Hughes said.
He admits he was nervous, but mostly excited for his first game back. The pint-sized hockey player is not alone in his love for the sport. His older brothers play as well.
The local minor hockey league has provided the family with support. Hughes’ Whitemud West Badgers teammates even paid him a visit at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
“I think he’d wear a suit of armour underneath his jersey if he had to, to get out there,” Matt Davidson, head coach of the Whitemud West Badgers, said.
“The general excitement of having him come back in this environment, in minor hockey where it’s such a community-based thing – you couldn’t script it better,” Davidson said.
Hughes’ grandparents are among the faithful that show up to cheer him on.
“Every one of my grandsons have different personalities, but this guy is a little different,” Eamon Boyle, Ethan’s grandfather, said “He’s probably the smallest one in the whole lot, but we always say he’s the toughest.”
Ultimately, Hughes’ determination and perseverance are among the things his family members hope others will take away from his story.
“You can get through whatever you get thrown at you if you strive to do your best,” Brian Hughes, Ethan’s father, said.
The Whitemud West Badgers won Saturday’s game 5-1.
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