Februrary East Longmeadow Peditaric Dental GSL Player of the Month over comes cancer to return to the ice

Kyle Gelinas is a 10 year hockey player who skates for the Westfield Youth Hockey Organization. He is a friendly, determined, outgoing boy who loves to play hockey. He is respected and well-liked by his teammates and coaches. In the fall of 2005, Kyle was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma, a form of cancer that strikes predominantly in children. Kyle underwent surgery in the fall of 2005, while his teammates were pretty much just beginning their season. Doctors were unable to completely remove a tumor from Kyle's neck as it was wrapped around some nerves. Shortly after the surgery, Kyle began radiation and chemotherapy treatment.

His teammates, coaches, and the parents of the Westfield Squirt 3 Hockey Team missed Kyle and his family tremendously. When he could, Kyle would come to our games and sit on the bench to cheer on his team. I can only imagine the sadness he felt at not being able to join his teammates on the ice, but nonetheless he sat on the bench and offered encouragement and praise to his team.

Just weeks ago, we received news that Kyle's cancer is in remission. Kyle responded to this news by coming to practice and skating with his team. The entire team was overjoyed by this! Most recently, Kyle was able to travel with his team to a tournament in Marlboro, MA where he took the ice with his team and played in the three tournament games that were scheduled. It was as if he had never stopped playing! I don't know what Kyle's favorite hockey experience is, but I'm sure his teammates will tell you that their favorite experience was having their teammate back!

Kyle is a boy that I believe is a perfect choice for this honor. These past months, he has shown great courage, determination, and has demonstrated to us all that when faced with overwhelming challenges, he had the strength to perservere with dignity and pride. The entire Westfield Squirt 3 team has learned a very valuable lesson from Kyle. He fought hard through his illness and never gave up. In my mind, that makes him, not only an outstanding hockey player, but a truly outstanding human being!