P.K. gone but not forgotten in Montreal
Joy Phillips has never met P. K. Subban and she’s not a Nashville Predators fan. But Phillips can’t thank the former Canadiens defenceman enough for what he did to help her daughter, Coraleigh Kieran, through P.K.’s Helping Hand, his fund at the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation dedicated to assisting vulnerable families dealing with a child’s illness.
A year before the Canadiens traded him to Nashville last summer, Subban pledged $10 million over seven years to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. More than $2 million has been received so far and more than $5,000 of that went to pay for a bone anchored hearing aid ( BAHA) for 13- year- old Coraleigh. A BAHA is covered in some provinces, but isn’t paid for by the Quebec government.
Coraleigh was born with BOR Syndrome, a genetic disorder involving the kidneys, ears and neck. She was hospitalized at the Montreal Children’s for much of the first year of her life before BOR was diagnosed. Coraleigh was completely deaf in her right ear and couldn’t hear anything under 10 deci- bels in her left ear before getting her BAHA last year.
“It took her a while to get used to it when we first put it on her,” said Coraleigh’s mother, who grew up as a member of a family of Boston Bruins fans. “She was saying that she couldn’t hear out of her left ear anymore because there was so much noise coming from her right ear.”
Coraleigh — who is a Canadiens fan, like her father Mike Kieran — now hears well in both ears.
“I’m very, very grateful,” Phillips said. “I think it was an amazing thing for P. K. Subban to donate all this money. There’s so many families that benefit from the Children’s Hospital. We’ve been a part of the Children’s basically since she was born. I just wish I had something to give back to them. I don’t have millions that I can donate to them … I feel like they’ve done so much and I have nothing to give back but my thanks.”
What would Phillips say to Subban if she got a chance to meet him?
“I would tell him I’m eternally grateful for what he has done and it’s such an amazing thing. I’m sure so many children have benefited from this and I’m very grateful. My daughter really needed this.”
Subban decided to honour his $10-million commitment to the hospital despite being traded to Nashville, which didn’t surprise Kim Fraser of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. “I’ ll be honest with you, we were waiting for the phone call,” Fraser said. “But we were not surprised that he decided to keep his commitment.”
Fraser said Subban wanted the money from P. K.’s Helping Hand to have a direct impact, supporting initiatives that touch patients and their families directly. Projects include housing for out- of- town families, parking, meal vouchers, grocery gift cards and other general expenses, as well as financial aid and expensive medical procedures not covered by the government, like BAHAs.
“To have someone like P.K. throw their support behind the Montreal Children’s Hospital meant the world to the people who work there and the families who have no choice and have to go to the hospital. Nobody chooses to go to the hospital,” Fraser said. “A lot of times (hospital staff ) toil away in obscurity, but it’s a validation that what they’re doing is appreciated and it’s a validation for many of the families that they’re not alone.”
Kids and s t aff at t he Montreal Children’s posted a video on Twitter on May 13 singing Happy Birthday to Subban when he turned 28.
Coraleigh’s mother said she will remain a Bruins fan, but has also become a huge Subban fan, as are the people at the Montreal Children’s who are hoping he will bring the Stanley Cup there if the Predators win it.
While with the Canadiens, Subban said his biggest goal was to bring the Cup to Montreal. It might still happen.