Mitch Marner shares a special moment with a young fan battling leukemia

Keep fighting, Hayden!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
Mitch Marner shares a special moment with a young fan battling leukemia
TSN

If you’re a fan of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, you probably already know the story of Marner’s #1 fan Hayden Foulon. 

Fouloun, who just turned 7, has been battling lymphoblastic leukemia for almost five years. She was first diagnosed when she was  less than two years old. Her mother Lindsay estimates her daughter has spent almost a year of her life in various hospitals in London, Toronto and Philadelphia. 

Her favourite player, and indeed her favourite person in the whole world, is Marner. But this isn’t a one-sided love affair… the admiration and respect goes both ways.

"She is my hero," says Marner with tears welling up in his eyes. "What she has gone through and the way she has fought in her brief life is an inspiration for all of us. All I want to do is to try to bring some happiness to her life any way I can."

Yesterday afternoon Marner surprised Hayden with a special visit on her 7th birthday. Check it out:



"Him making a big deal out of her has made her happy," said Hayden's mother, Lindsay. "And I will always be grateful for that. Nothing is more important than whatever happiness she can have.”

"With her being in the hospital for such a long time, she doesn't have the opportunity to go to school and make friends. She doesn't get to be a normal kid. Just by him saying she's his friend, he's acknowledging her. That makes her feel important. And it's given her a lot of strength and a lot of courage.

"She's on cloud nine when we talk to her about him. Seeing her light up makes the crummy days feel less crummy. When she smiles, we smile. We take the good and the bad. And unfortunately, there have been some bad days. 

"The things Mitch has done for her have made her the happiest kid."

What a class act. Ladies and gentlemen, the next team captain Toronto Maple Leafs history: Mitch Marner.

Source: Mitch Marner