TAMPA, Fla. – Before the puck drops at Benchmark International Arena Thursday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning offered an uplifting, behind-the-scenes experience for cancer patients going through the most challenging moments of their lives.
The backstory:
Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute has worked with the Tampa Bay Lightning for several years to put together an event called “Day with the Bolts” for their cancer patients.
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“This is the first time I got to sit this close up on ice watching them practice, so that’s kind of exhilarating in a way,” said Nykole Marquez, a cancer patient. Marquez was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2019, and she’s now been in remission for five years.
Patients had the opportunity to bring a loved one with them, and Marquez brought her mother along with her. She said it’s her second time attending the event, and she’s a big fan of the team.
“They’re a little more relaxed, so you can see them kind of at ease but also focused. So I really like to see both aspects where they’re really in it on game day,” said Marquez. “I’ve been a Lightning fan for more than 10, 15 years, so being this close to them, I kind of feel like I’m having a personal connection to them.”
Dig deeper:
“I told my daughter when we were putting her to bed last night, like ‘I’m so excited about tomorrow, and I’m so excited we get to do it all together,’” said Marcelite Miller, a cancer patient.
Miller was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2020. Now, after eight rounds of chemo, 25 rounds of radiation and more, she said she’s thankful for every minute with her daughter and husband.
“At one point my daughter was really worried. She’s like, ‘Mom, are you not going to be here for me when I grow up?’ And I was like, ‘Oh I’m going to be here. I might be a very cranky old lady with arthritis and other things, but I’m going to be here,’” said Miller.
Miller sat with her husband and daughter as the hockey team practiced, watching her daughter smile as she caught an official practice puck.
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“There’s silver linings to cancer, and this is definitely a silver lining,” said Miller.  She will be one of the patients featured during the Bolts game on Saturday.
What they’re saying:
As the patients each work toward a win against cancer, they had the opportunity to learn about hockey and meet players as well as watch the practice session.
Bolts defenseman Darren Raddysh spoke to the group about his personal connection to cancer with his father’s diagnosis, sharing his understanding of the strain on families. Former Lightning player Brian Bradley also spoke to the patients, sharing details about the team and their season.
“Everybody in the organization loves being a part of things like this, so it’s a great time. The holidays are around the corner, so everybody wants to do their best to make people happy,” said Bradley. “I think at the end of the day, everybody has a connection somehow. Hopefully, in the future they’ll have a cure. But just to be here today and show support to all these people from Florida Cancer Specialists, it’s been fantastic.”
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo using interviews with two cancer patients and former Bolts’ player Brian Bradley.