LINKED BY MENINGITIS
WHL star Tim Bozon meets 13-year-old fan
REGINA — Kootenay Ice forward Tim Bozon was happy to give away the puck.
The recipient was a 13-year-old Reginan Alex Smidt, who is recovering from meningitis — the same disease that threatened Bozon’s life a year ago.
The 20-year-old Bozon met Smidt after Wednesday’s Western Hockey League game at the Brandt Centre, where the Kootenay Ice celebrated a 5-4 shootout victory over the Regina Pats.
Bozon scored a goal in that game. Afterwards, he presented Smidt with the puck, along with the stick that propelled the disc into the net. Bozon, who also gave Smidt some autographed pictures, had an amicable chat with the youngster and his parents — John Smidt and Mary-Lou Thompson — before boarding the team bus.
“It was awesome meeting Tim because I watched him play and he scored a goal tonight,” Smidt said. “He scored a good goal and he gave me his stick and the puck that they were using.
“He said, ‘Here, you can have this.’”
Smidt has been battling the effects of bacterial meningitis since mid-July, when the diagnosis was made at Regina General Hospital. Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and the spinal cord.
After the diagnosis, Smidt was flown via air ambulance to Calgary, where he was admitted to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. He soon underwent four surgical procedures to alleviate pressure on his brain and to remove fluid from behind his eyes. At one point, it was feared that he would go blind and the family was bracing itself for the worst.
“The doctors told us, ‘We’re not trying to scare you, but the chances of him pulling out of this are not good. We’re just saying this to prepare you,’” John Smidt recalled after Wednesday’s game.
Alex has since progressed to the point where the prospects for a full recovery are good. He hopes to return to school in the fall, although, as his father noted, “he’s not out of the woods yet.”
The recovery has been aided by thoughtful gestures such as that of Bozon, who was stricken with meningitis a year ago Sunday.
Shortly after a road game against the Saskatoon Blades, he became ill and was admitted to Royal University Hospital. He was diagnosed with Neisseria meningitidis, which endangered his life.
Bozon was placed in a medically induced coma and was hospitalized for a month. He recovered to the extent that he was able to attend training camp with the Montreal Canadiens, who selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft.
The Canadiens subsequently reassigned Bozon to the WHL. Upon learning of Smidt’s condition, Bozon sent him a puck. That gesture was a precursor to Wednesday’s meeting.
“I was really excited to see him,” Bozon said. “It’s nice to see, because I’m the one he’s looking up to. It’s always nice. I can tell he’s a fighter. He’s a Montreal fan also, so he’s picking the right team. “He’s a warrior, for sure.” Smidt has emulated his father by being an ardent fan of the Canadiens, which makes Bozon’s NHL affiliation a perfect fit.
“Alex is a lot like the Canadiens,” John Smidt said. “They persevere. They don’t quit — and neither did Tim Bozon.”
Bozon was one of many individuals who played a key role in Wednesday’s meeting.
The post-game session was orchestrated by Steve Daly of Denver, who is part of a group called Hockey Inside Out — an Internet community that is sponsored by the Montreal Gazette Media Group.
Daly reached out to the Pats’ Gord Pritchard, director of corporate affairs, and the Ice’s Chris Wahl, director of sales and public relations. After a few phone calls and emails, the in-person introduction was set up.
As a bonus, Bozon scored a goal in the third period. One of the scorekeepers saved the puck and gave it to Pritchard, who passed it on to Bozon, who presented it to Alex Smidt. He was also given a hockey stick signed by each member of the Pats.
“It feels good,” Alex said when asked about the outpouring of generosity. “It feels pretty cool.”
“I CAN TELL HE’S A FIGHTER. HE’S A MONTREAL FAN ALSO, SO HE’S PICKING THE RIGHT TEAM.”
TIM BOZON