I am a huge hockey fan and I LOVE the Chicago Blackhawks. When asked why I love the Blackhawks I tell folks (jokingly, of course) “If you love America and you love God, then you love the Blackhawks!" Most hockey fans (except Detroit Red Wing fans) will laugh and remind me that their favorite team is actually the Divinely guided team. That’s OK, though, they don’t know better 😊.
Since I love hockey, I enjoyed this article about how a woman attending her first professional hockey game helped save the life of the Vancouver Canucks assistant equipment manager Brian 'Red' Hamilton.
When Nadia Popovici was attending a Seattle Kraken game and sitting behind the Vancouver Canucks bench, she saw his mole and thought: “that is a picture-perfect example of what a melanoma looks like.'' So she typed out a message on her phone that read:
"The mole on the back of your neck is possibly cancerous. Please go see a doctor!"
Since Nadia graduated from the University of Washington, plans on attending medical school, and has been volunteering at an oncology unit at a hospital, she knew what she was talking about. The challenge was getting Brian’s attention. So she started pounding on the glass behind the bench, but as a hockey rookie, Nadia didn’t know: Everyone pounds on the glass. So Brian ignored her.
But Nadia was very persistent. She kept pounding away until Brian, who was getting ready to leave the bench looked up and saw the message.
When Brian got home he saw his doctor, had a biopsy performed and learned that the mole was a malignant melanoma in phase 2. As a forty-seven year old father with kids, everybody, his mother, family and friends etc… is eternally grateful that it was caught early because Nadia wouldn’t let it go.
As Brian stated: "She extended my life, she saved my life…. The words out of the doctor's mouth were if I ignored that for four to five years, I wouldn't be here. I didn't [even] know [the mole] was there. How she saw it boggles my mind. It wasn't very big. I wear a jacket [on the bench], I wear a radio on the back of my jacket that hooks on, so the cords are there. Like, she's a hero."
Brian wanted to thank her in person but he had no idea who she was. Fortunately, the Canucks sent out a beautiful tweet from Brian:
"The message you showed me on your cell phone will forever be etched into my brain and has made a true life-changing difference to me and my family," the tweet said. "Your instincts were right, and … thanks to your persistence and the quick work of our doctors, it is now gone. We are looking for this incredible person and we need you to share with your friends and families to help us find a real life hero so I can express my sincerest gratitude."
When the tweet was reposted her mother Yukyung Nelson, a member of the Ladies of the Kraken Facebook group, saw it and exclaimed: "Oh my gosh!!! This was my daughter!!!"
Nadia was completely unaware of what was occurring but interestingly, she was planning on attending another upcoming Kraken game against the Canucks.
This gave Brian the opportunity to meet with Nadia before the game and properly thank Nadia, express his gratitude and thank her for her persistence in person. As he noted: “She really went over the top to get my attention. I just want her to know that her persistence was what saved my life… Imagine if you're walking around and you've saved a life, but you have no idea you saved a life? I want her to know and I want to say thank you to her."
Nadia shared about the experience, "The fact that I got to see him and talk to his family members that have been really impacted by him dodging a big bullet, that's so special.”
The Kraken honored her at the game and the crowd gave her a standing ovation. The Kraken and Canucks gave her a joint $10,000 scholarship for medical school.
In the Gospel of Matthew we are reminded that even something as small as a mustard seed can make a big difference. And Nadia’s gesture, small as it was, made a huge difference and was life changing.
