Former Senators star Wade Redden reunited with a CHEO cancer patient he inspired 25 years ago
At the Ottawa Senators first pre-season home game against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night, a special reunion was taking place between a former Senators star and a CHEO cancer patient.
It's been 25 years since Wade Redden opened his suite for kids, at what was then the Corel Centre, now the Canadian Tire Centre.
The box hosting hundreds of patients from CHEO over the years, with Julian van Popta one of the first.
His journey with cancer was difficult; facing death repeatedly. CHEO was his home away from home, and Wade Redden, through visits, spending time with the then 13-year-old bringing a little light into some dark days.
Julian says the example Redden set all those years ago, inspiring him to give back ever since.
"I think this will be pretty cool to come back and say hi, just thank him for everything that he has done and the significant influence, making that journey just a little bit easier," Julian said. "I’ve bumped into him at a few events that the Senators did for CHEO and every time we saw each other we are like, 'Hey yeah, we know each other.'"
A book Julian’s father John wrote, which was published this year, sparked the reunion. It is based on the journals he kept throughout Julian’s four-year battle with cancer.
The book titled, "Only when it’s dark can we see the stars” is a reminder of life’s struggles with a message of hope.
“It’s a four-and-a-half-year long journal about the highs and lows and the emotional and spiritual battle that Julian and our family fought," John said. "It’s incredible; I never thought this day would happen. I want to thank him for his interest in a 13-year-old boy; he made an remarkable impression on Julian that has lasted 25 years."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.