A BOND FOREVER
How a sport and a Charlottetown Islander have helped Kellan McAdam fight cancer
A sport and a Charlottetown Islander are helping Kellan McAdam fight cancer
A special young fan will be in the limelight at Eastlink Centre on Friday as the Charlottetown Islanders officially join the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative taken on by the National Hockey League and its affiliates.
It’s a movement designed to not just end cancer once and for all, but also encourage those who are currently battling the disease and celebrate those who have defeated it.
Five-year-old Kellan McAdam will be dropping the ceremonial puck alongside someone who has grown to become a close friend – Matthew Welsh. Kellan’s connection with the Isles’ veteran netminder dates back to a meeting at a Children’s Wish Foundation Christmas party in December 2018.
“Matt and a couple of his teammates were in attendance and they had a little mini-stick station going on,” said Vicki McAdam, who explained her son was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, otherwise known as ALL when he was 3 ½. “Kellan has such a love of hockey, so he gravitated towards the station and immediately had this connection with Matt.
“Kellan is a pretty energetic little guy and Matt completely matched that energy.”
Vicki said the connection between her son and Welsh was evident from the moment they met.
“Kellan is not typically a kid who shows affection easily; you kind of have to work for it. He was instantly hugging Matt, he couldn’t stop playing with him, he even invited Matt to sit with us at our table and eat.”
Welsh immediately had a new No. 1 fan.
“He was obsessed,” said Vicki on Kellan’s new friend. “He was like, ‘We have to go see Matt, we have to go see my hockey buddy Matt’.
“We took him to some games and every time he would wait outside the dressing room for Matt.”
Welsh and Kellan have built a great bond, with Welsh even sending him videos of good wishes during visits to the IWK. Vicki said that Kellan as even taken up the desire to be a goalie. But, unfortunately, due to the implanted port, it’s the one thing in hockey he’s unable to do.
A port is a medical device often placed on the upper chest or below the collarbone. They can be used for getting IV medicines, fluids, food or blood samples.
“Kellan just always seems to light up every time we mention Matt,” Vicki added. “Any time we tell him we have an opportunity to see them he gets so excited. He seeks out every opportunity to be around Matt because he looks up to him so much. It’s amazing the connection that my five-year-old has with this 20-year-old.”
Kellan has benefited from starting to play hockey.
“When he was first diagnosed, Kellan couldn’t walk for about six weeks. He had strong bone pain and lost a lot of muscle mass because of that. Once he started walking again, he had a lot of strength to rebuild,” explained Vicki. “When he got back into playing hockey and skating, it really helped him strengthen his legs, and you’d never guess that he had ever lost any strength because his legs were so strong from skating.
“Mentally, it just boosted him. It’s euphoric the amount of joy that this sport brings him. He loves getting on the ice, and loves being in the net.”
Friday night’s opening ceremony gives the McAdam family a chance to see Kellan on the ice in his element, being acknowledged for his fight against ALL.
“This has been something that most young kids shouldn’t be faced with. It’s created a real sense of honour that we’ll be able to see him out there,” said Vicki. “To be able to see him out there with someone he truly looks up to and to be around the sport that brings him so much joy is going to be priceless.”
“Kellan just always seems to light up every time we mention Matt. Any time we tell him we have an opportunity to see them he gets so excited.” Vicki McAdam, mother of Kellan McAdam