So Many Angels and Penguins Bring Smiles to Brave Kids

So Many Angels is a nonprofit organization that takes photos of children with cancer and other life-altering medical diagnoses and transforms them into whatever or whoever they want to be.

During this year’s Hockey Fights Cancer game, Gaib, Sierra and Alexander became Pittsburgh Penguins.

They saw their finished canvases for the first time in the second intermission of Tuesday’s matchup with Tampa Bay. It was a heartfelt moment for the kids and their families.

“It’s awesome,” Gaib’s dad James said. “It's something cool for him to experience, especially through all the hard times.”

The kids then filed out in the hallway to take a few pictures with the canvases they would bring home with them. Alexander and Sierra wanted to display them in their rooms, and Gaib right in the living room.

Iceburgh even joined in on the fun, joining the three of them for pictures. However, the surprises did not end there: Sidney Crosby was going to sign all three canvases. That bit of news capped off a tremendous experience for everyone involved.

“Given the circumstances that we're under,” Sierra’s mom, Monica, said, “it was nice to get out and think about something else for a minute.”

It started when Gaib, Sierra, and Alexander received the best treat ever on Nov. 1 following an exciting Halloween win against the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena. After a night spent in costumes, they got to adorn the jerseys of three of their favorite players for a photoshoot. Following this, they got to watch practice and meet their heroes.

“We're grateful for that day and to come to the game,” Alexander’s dad Michael said. “I know Alexander has been really, really excited to come see his first Penguins game in person, so we've been following them on TV. So, it's great to be here.”

Founder and Executive Director of So Many Angels Matt Meiers is so passionate about their mission, which is to let kids be kids, and through the power of photography, they can be transformed into superheroes, princesses, or athletes. In this case, they were turned into Penguins.

“This is all I do,” Meiers said, “This is what I live for because the power of photography is just incredible … it shows their child as the superhero that they are, as the superstar that they are.”

However, Meiers admits that his favorite part of the day is seeing the reaction from the parents.

“The parents of kids with cancer and other serious medical issues do not always get to see their kid just be a kid,” he said. “So, to give them that five minutes, that ten minutes of so-called normal… it's just the reactions when we hear the parents say something like, ‘I haven't seen that smile in six months.’ That means the world to me.”

The smile didn’t leave Alexander’s face back on Nov. 1, especially since he had the choice of going to school or coming to the rink that day after dressing as Donkey Kong the previous night. He was pumped for the opportunity to be a Penguin.

“This is somewhat of a celebratory thing, because his treatment ended about two weeks ago,” Michael said.

This is the third year that the Penguins Foundation have partnered with So Many Angels to make this dream a reality. “It’s become part of our Hockey Fights Cancer programming, and we are just so appreciative to be able to partner with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and So Many Angels,” said Cindy Himes, director of community/alumni relations at the Foundation.

“I think the highlight for the kids, and the highlight for us, to be honest, is after practice when the kids go to the locker room and actually meet the players. When we met Alexander, the first words he spoke were, ‘do you think I'll get to meet Sid?’ And I said, ‘I think you might! [laughs].”

As soon as they entered the room, the kids headed straight to Drew O’Connor, chatting with him as he sat in his stall. Other players, including Michael Bunting and Erik Karlsson, made their way back to the locker room just to meet the newest little Penguins dressed in jerseys.

“Obviously, they're going through some stuff, and if we can put a smile on their face at any moment, that makes you feel like you've done something good,” Bunting said. “It's nice to always give back to something like this. I love it.”