Leafs Captain Make A Kids Day

March 15, 2023 4:59 am Published by

Henry Pye, 11, had a large tumour removed last December at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. 

He couldn’t sit up, move his head, open his eyes or talk for several days after the operation. 

 

Once he started to make progress and regain strength, his family began to think about ways to celebrate his recovery.  They decided to take him to a Leafs game.

A fun night at Scotiabank Arena became so much more thanks to a random act of kindness from a stranger and Leafs Captain John Tavares. 

 

First, an usher invited Henry to join a few other kids and fist-bump players as they took the ice. With mobility still an issue after surgery (Henry now uses a walker while his recovery continues) the usher and another man helped carry Henry down near the tunnel, and back to his seat.

 

That was just the start. A family seated nearby then invited Henry and his mom to join them at a post-game meet-and-greet with Tavares. They couldn’t believe what was happening.

 

After recording a goal and an assist in a 5-2 Leafs win, Tavares spent time with both families — signing autographs, posing for pictures and praising Henry’s courage.

As the father of two young kids, Tavares said Henry’s situation hit home.

 

Tanya said recently that Henry continues to make progress in rehab at SickKids: regaining some speech and mobility, and able to see independently with both eyes despite persistent double vision.

 

Now that the Pyes are “Leafs fans for life,” Tanya says Henry is looking forward to his next game. 

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This post was written by Dave Palmer