Canadian women bring joy to cancer-stricken mom
KAMLOOPS• When Blayre Turnbull scored for Team Canada in the IIHF women’s hockey world championship semifinals Sunday, the most excited people in the Sandman Centre likely were camped out in Section R, Row 6, seats 4-7.
That’ s where Sheryl Sadorski, her daughter Emily and others members of their travelling party were, taking in every ounce of the Canadian victory over Finland.
Emily is nine. She loves hockey with all her might. She’s played for four seasons in her hometown of Prince Rupert, B.C.
She’s also been helping Sheryl battle with cervical cancer f or t he past two years.
For Christmas, Sheryl told Emily to choose an experience she wanted and Sheryl would try to make it happen. Sheryl wanted to make some memories. Emily picked a trip to the women’s worlds, with the idea of meeting Team Canada face to face.
The family reached out to TSN, who in turn reached out to Hockey Canada, and on Saturday Emily and her crew got a chance to sit in at a practice at the Sandman and then spend some time with the Canadian players afterwards.
Team Canada general manager Melody Davidson had pulled Emily aside beforehand she went to the dressing room and gave her strict marching orders: Emily was to tell Canadian star centre Marie- Philip Poulin, women’s hockey’s version of Captain Serious, to “smile more.”
The family was there for an hour. Pictures were taken, autographs were signed. As they were leaving, Turnbull, a 23- year- old forward from Stellarton, N. S., gave Emily her email address, explaining that she wanted to keep in touch.
“Those women are a class act,” said Sheryl, who is a fan of the sport herself, having found herself caught up in watching Canada’s various showdowns with the U. S. at the worlds and the Olympics on television.
“They had empathy, they had sympathy. They were friendly. They had her hang out with them during their cool down after practice. They hugged her.
“They treated us like we were a part of the team. They are the definition of Canadians.”