At the age of 11, Kayden Harder has gone through more life-altering challenges than many of us face in a lifetime. When he was around four or five, Harder started to have a reaction to 小蓝视频 in sunlight, and was subsequently diagnosed as epileptic. Several years later he found out that his mother, Kristen, has breast cancer. Most recently, last June he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It was at this point that Harder was referred to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
As is standard practise at Make-A-Wish, he was given three wishes. His number one wish was to meet Connor McDavid, captain of the Edmonton Oilers, and that wish came true on January 30 in Edmonton.
In his battle with epilepsy, Harder has had up to 100 seizures per day when in sunlight for too long, said Kristen.
鈥淟ast summer he got very sick and his kidneys were failing. He had to be transferred to Saskatoon,鈥 said Kristen. 鈥淎fter his diagnosis with diabetes, his pediatric neurologist referred him to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The form of epilepsy he has is very treatment resistant, so we are waiting to go to Vancouver for more evaluation and treatment.鈥
Harder was approved by Make-A-Wish in August, and when he found out, 鈥渉e was so thankful that he cried.鈥
Initially, Harder met a representative from Make-A-Wish, and was asked to make three wishes. His choices were:
- Meet Connor McDavid
- Attend the NHL All Star Game in St. Louis
- Be featured in a MoreJStu video, where young people do various fun staff and have it streamed on YouTube.
Harder plays hockey for the Canora Peewee Cobras, so it was hardly a surprise that his first two choices were hockey related. He also plays lacrosse for the Sturgis Trojans and runs on the cross-country team at CCS (Canora Composite School). Added to his very active lifestyle, after his diagnosis with diabetes he had to find time to take seven daily insulin injections spread throughout the day.
鈥淐ross-country races are often at noon, so that tends to conflict with his noon injection,鈥 said Kristen. 鈥淥f course, hockey games are at all different times, so it becomes quite a challenge.鈥
A representative from Make-A-Wish met with Kayden for an in-depth discussion in an effort to thoroughly get to know him. From this interview, the recommendation was made to grant the Connor McDavid wish.
鈥淭he representatives and all their staff are really incredible people,鈥 said Kristen. 鈥淭heir co-ordinator told me, 鈥業 have the best job in the world.鈥 It鈥檚 amazing how they care about these kids so much.鈥
Kristen said the rest of the family, including brother Brandon and father Bryan, found out about the decision around the beginning of December, but purposefully kept Kayden in the dark until a special Grades 5 to 8 assembly was held at CCS on January 24, where most of the students weren鈥檛 really sure what was going on.
鈥淭wo of the teachers, Dustin Nielsen and Curtis Baillie, set it up as hockey-related challenges and activities,鈥 recalled Kristen. 鈥淏ut near the end they said, 鈥渢here鈥檚 one more thing that鈥檚 never happened at CCS,鈥 and then they played the Make-A-Wish reveal video where Kayden found out he was going to meet Connor McDavid. He was so overwhelmed, he put his head down and may have been crying, I couldn鈥檛 tell. But everyone applauded and they were all patting him on the back. It was really special.鈥
On January 27, the Harder family was off to Edmonton. The entire trip was courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
鈥淥n the flight, the West Jet crew announced Kayden鈥檚 Make-A-Wish trip and everyone on the plane applauded,鈥 said Kristen. 鈥淗e even got to meet the pilot.
鈥淲hen we got to Edmonton, we were treated so well. We received limousine transportation everywhere. Brandon and Kayden had never even been in a limo before.鈥
During their time in Edmonton, the Harder family stayed at the Fantasyland Hotel and had passes to all the attractions in the West Edmonton Mall, including the Waterpark and Marine Life.
On January 29 the Canora family attended a game in Edmonton between the Oilers and their archrivals from Calgary, which was won by the Flames in a shootout.
鈥淲e all got to fist bump the Oilers before the game,鈥 said Kristen.
The Harder family was in private seats during the game, served by their own waitress.
The next day the Harders received a full tour of Rogers Arena, attended an Oilers practise and got invited into the team鈥檚 dressing room.
鈥淲e met a number of the Oilers staff and the players,鈥 said Kristen. 鈥淭hey were all so wonderful, they stopped and talked to us and made us all feel welcome.鈥
McDavid didn鈥檛 practise that day, but he joined them in the dressing room and was introduced to Kayden.
鈥淎t first Kayden was acting all casual and said, 鈥淗ey Connor鈥 but then he got pretty nervous,鈥 recalled Kristen. 鈥淗e gave Kayden his jersey with his name and number on it and they had a nice conversation. He put on a Canora Cougars T-shirt and shot a video with Kayden, wishing everyone on his Canora Peewee Cobras hockey team the best of luck in their upcoming games.鈥
Harder took part in a media scrum, where he was given a microphone and had the opportunity to ask the players questions, just like a sports reporter.
Another special moment came when Harder signed a one-day contract with the Oilers, brought to him by one of the team鈥檚 coaches.
鈥淪pending time with the Oilers and meeting Connor McDavid, one of his idols, was Kayden鈥檚 dream,鈥 said Kristen. 鈥淲hen we, as a family, look back on the experience now, it seems kind of surreal. I still almost don鈥檛 believe it actually happened.鈥
But it did happen. And Kayden and his family have the life-long memories to prove it.
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