Remember Mandi Schwartz & Help BNZ Fight Cancer
Below is a reposting of my post on NHL Hot Stove today. Thanks to Alex, Brandon and Dave for letting me get on my soapbox.
-
Normally on a Monday morning I would be writing to you all about the notable stories from around the NHL’s Western Conference. There is no shortage of milestones (kudos to Jarmoe Iginla and David Backes by the way), trends and FYI’s to discuss, but there is one more important than all the others combined.
On Sunday morning the St. Louis Blues family and the hockey community in general suffer a great loss with the passing of Mandi Schwartz.
The 23 year old Yale Bulldog, older sister to Blues prospect Jaden Schwartz, finally lost her war with cancer. Acute myeloid leukemia was her tireless foe since 2008. Back and forth they fought. Just when it seemed like Mandi grabbed the upper hand, a stem cell transplant in late 2010, cancer struck back as the treatment failed to prevent another recurrence. Treatments were ceased.
As the inevietable approached, the outpouring of support would not be restrained. Yale University did not turn their back. Mandi’s Heroes didn’t shut down their site, Facebook Group or Twitter account. Knowing the attempt to preserve her life and her memory in the end would be an inspiration to all who heard her tale.
As Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy writes, “Mandi Schwartz dies a hockey player, and an inspiration to other hockey players.”
Much like the tragic passing of Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke’s son Brendan, in heart wrenching sorrow there can be new found awareness, compassion, unity and hope. As Brendan brought homosexuality in high level athletics in to the spotlight, gaining a new level of acceptance and opening discourse, so too can Mandi help galvanize efforts against cancer.
Before saying “we all know cancer is bad and we’re all trying to stop it, but that doesn’t mean it needs more attention”, stop. Too few can say “I don’t know anyone I care about that was effected by cancer”, for such a cop out to be legitimate.
Cancer in all of its forms is the great war of our modern era. Those of us from baby boomers and younger have no World War to unify our efforts against a common enemy. There are no National Socialists or Totalitarian Democracies pointing loaded barrels at the those of us sitting pretty in the “free world”. Instead our own bodies work against us. Preventing millions from living the life they have worked for.
It’s a war we can’t afford to lose. Every drop in the bucket counts.
As some of our readers know I have my own Blues fan blog site, BlueNoteZone.com. It’s a site I started as a creative outlet in 2008 and has grown to allow a few other Blue Bleeders a chance to air their perspectives. One such writer is my wife Kelly. Her family has a long and gloomy history of breast cancer. Going back three generations and spreading across most of the female portion of the family tree. Her mother’s recurrence of breast cancer in 2008 made her start the genetic testing and preventative measures evaluation process.
After much deliberation, she started the process this year. The tests came back positive for the BRCA1 mutation. Giving her roughly an 87% chance of having breast cancer in her lifetime. She has elected for surgery that should reduce her chances to barely all of 2%.
You can see why cancer is an issue close to this Blues blogger.
We’ve walked in the St. Louis Komen Race for a Cure many times before. This year felt different. Given recent family events we wanted to give back more than the usual sign-up fee to walk at the Blues Team.
We’ve created a “Sub Team” to help raise additional funds. After taking care of the sign-up fee with the Blues, for an additional $15 we’re providing all Sub Team members a BlueNoteZone Sub Team T-Shirt. All proceeds go straight back to Komen. No tax write off funny business. Just a donation to a worthy cause.
*If you want to donate back but cannot walk or sign up for the Blues team, we still make the $15 donation and T-Shirt available
To help bolster our numbers we decided to do a, ever popular among the hockey community, Twitter Follower Drive for a Giveaway promotion.
We’ll give away three T-Shirts to a random Tweep, Facebook fan and/or Sub Team member assuming we can hit some goals. Twitter: 750, Facebook: 300, Team Members: 25. If we can hit 25 team members the third shirt will be autographed by the Blues players at the race on June 11th. For those interested in seeing the shirt, please follow the link.
The shirts will be free to the winners, but the donation we’re asking for to normally get the shirt will automatically go to Komen.
No, my efforts may not benefit Mandi’s cause, but breast cancer is something than can and does touch all associated with hockey world. A hockey mom, a player’s wife or even a woman athlete herself.
Mandi was a strong young woman whose mortality should remind all of us to fight cancer where ever we find it. I’m asking the Blue Bleeders in Blues Nation and the hockey community to help further my fight. In unity everyone will help fight yours whether it is present today or comes tomorrow.
Help celebrate Mandi’s life by helping those she surely would have if she would have been able to.
For all questions and concerns, please contact me thebluenotezone@yahoo.com and please follow the links back to our site for more details.
-
Please follow @BlueNoteZone on Twitter and the BlueNoteZone Facebook Fan Page for the giveaway promotion
-
I recently did a Q&A session Jaden regarding his career and where he has come from and can still get in contact with him. Please, feel free to leave comments on the blog to pass along. I will put them all in to an email and send to the family.
