Feb 18, 2008 9:12 am US/Central
Child With Eye Cancer Hockey Player's Biggest Fan
(WCCO)
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Rachel's story involves her friendship with 3-year-old Kira Erickson. They were introduced by each other's grandparents last summer.
CBS
Sports has a way of bringing together communities. In the case of Rachael Drazan, playing hockey at the University of Minnesota has given her a link and an ever-lasting friendship with 3-year-old, Kira Erickson.
Upon first glance you might not notice anything different on the ice during a game at Ridder Arena. Take a closer look and you'll see a gold ribbon sticking out of Drazan's helmet. The Gophers junior defenseman has been wearing it since the beginning of the season in support of childhood cancer.
"The easiest way to show it off is to make people wear it, by wearing it in games," said Drazan. "The girls on the ice may think it's kind of goofy and it may look funny, but when they hear my story and what it's for, they really respect that and know what it's for."
Drazan's story involves her friendship with 3-year-old Erickson. They were introduced by each other's grandparents last summer.
"It really makes me sad that a little kid, who's only 3, hasn't seen much of the world and might not be able to see much of the world," Drazan said.
In January 2007, Erickson was diagnosed with bilateral retinal blastoma, an aggressive form of eye cancer that is extremely rare. She's endured 15 operations and countless chemotherapy treatments in the past year. Just last month Erickson had her right eye removed.
"We're at the point now where there's a good chance she's going to lose her left eye if the cancer continues to grow and she was getting new tumors in her eye every month despite all treatment," said Kira's mother Erica Erickson.
"There's something about cancer ... kids, they're so tough," said Kira's father Kurt Erickson. "They go through so much, yet they're so resistant. She'll be in surgery for six hours, or whatever, and by 5 o'clock that night, she'll be ready to play."
Erickson also gives her favorite hockey player strength by being rink side. Drazan said Erickson inspires her to play her best.
Her parents are readying their daughter for what could happen in the future.
"She's holding on with decent vision and she's functioning really well. We're preparing her for blindness. She's learning Braille and she has a vision teacher," said Erica Erickson. "We're accepting that blind people can live well, too. She'll do the best with what she has."
Erickson will turn 4 on March 16. The next two years are critical to her vision. If she reaches six years old with her remaining eye, the odds of keeping her sight increase dramatically.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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