Mike Stelter, whose son Ben captured hearts across the country and the NHL before he passed away in August, is fighting his own battle with cancer.
“I was having back pains and with an MRI the doctors found a tumour growing on my spine,” Mike said in a message on Twitter.
“We have to travel to the U.S. for treatment because it’s not available in Canada.
“It’s been a whirlwind for us to say the least but we are so grateful for all of the love and support.”
Mike’s sister-in-law started a GoFundMe page to raise money for medical costs, travel expenses and day-to-day living expenses.
“It’s been a very difficult year for our family,” said Danielle Ribich.
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“We lost Ben last year and it’s been emotionally heartbreaking for our family. We’re trying to recover from that and then we found out this news about Ben’s dad, about Mike. It’s hard to believe.
“It’s taken weeks to accept and we are now here just trying to get Mike better and doing everything we can to rally around the Stelters.”
She said the rare kind of cancer in Mike’s spine requires him to travel to Pennsylvania for seven weeks of treatment.
Mike’s son Ben was diagnosed with glioblastoma — an aggressive type of brain cancer – at the age of four. He underwent surgery to remove the tumour, as well as several rounds of chemotherapy and dozens of radiation sessions.
Last December, the tumour returned and Ben began more rounds of radiation treatments over the winter.
He passed away in August. He was six years old.
His parents Mike and Lea helped create the Ben Stelter Memorial Fund that raises funds to fight cancer and provide experiences for children battling cancer.
“They are totally selfless people,” Ribich said. “They’re truly wonderful parents and siblings. Extremely loving, caring, thoughtful people. I think a lot of Edmontonians know that about this family.
“The community has rallied around them already and it’s hard to explain what it’s like to be here, almost, again, to be in the situation again. But that’s life. Here we are.”