"That's one of the things that when I went into medicine is what I was amazed at, is how resilient the kids are," said Dr. Tim Cripe, chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Even though they might have horrible sounding diagnoses and limitations in things, their spirit is often really exemplary. They're still kids, so they like to play and have fun within the limitations that they may have."
Now in his eighth year with the hospital, Cripe greeted the 23 Blue Jackets players and Stinger when they arrived for the visit, which occurred one night before the team's annual
Hockey Fights Cancer Night
on Friday vs. St. Louis in Nationwide Arena.
From there, the players split up into six groups to fan out across the hospital. Some played games with children facing the disease, while others simply went room to room to deliver care packages and spend a few minutes with the kids to learn about their likes and interests.
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Some kids were Blue Jackets fans excited to see their on-ice heroes, while others were simply happy to have a visit from a friendly face. For 22-year-old Brittany Flora, a Blue Jackets fan who has twice beaten cancer but is back in the hospital, the visit was one that brightened her day.
It took some effort on her part, too, to head to the hospital's lobby to meet with two players, as she's currently receiving treatment on a floor that could not receive guests.
"It gets you away from reality for a moment," she said of talking with Dubois and Savard.