The Ottawa Senators might very well be in the thick of a playoff race heading towards the end of the NHL season. But in no way does this mean the team is too busy to visit a die-hard young fan that’s going through some difficult times.
In the lead up to their game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, the Senators met with 16-year-old Jonathan Pitre, who is battling a rare form of epidermolysis bullosa.
Pitre is set to undergo a second attempt at a stem-cell transplant after the first one proved unsuccessful this past fall. For the teenager, it must have been a shock to see the NHL team at his Minnesota apartment shortly after it arrived from Canada.
“It means a whole lot,” Pitre said, via the Ottawa Citizen. “We’re going into transplant in two days now. It just gave me a big confidence boost and a bunch of other boosts I can’t describe.”
The Senators’ organization has long supported Pitre and his family through what has to be the most difficult of times. For this, it appears that the family is as grateful as could be.
“This is exactly what Jonathan needed to give him a bit of a lift,” the teen’s mom, Tina Boileau, said.
The two will attend Ottawa’s game against Minnesota on Thursday, the day before Jonathan is slated to go back to the hospital.
Too often, the sports world is filled with news that meets our need for drama-filled instant-gratification. It’s tremendous to see the Senators do their part to help a young man behind the scenes. This is the type of story we should be focusing on covering. It makes us think humanity isn’t on the decline after all.
Good for the Senators. Now, let’s all hope Pitre can overcome this life-altering event and root on his favorite team for many years to come.