Mason Kessler was 6 years old.
He was diagnosed with leukemia.
He faced more than two years of chemotherapy via shots. He faced more than two years of chemotherapy via spinal taps. He faced more than two years of chemotherapy via pills.
“When someone tells you your child has leukemia, it’s the worst,” said Cindy Kessler, Mason’s mom. “It opened a world that we didn’t want to go into.”
For Mason Kessler, there was only one thing to do under such gut-wrenching, tearful circumstances:
Meet Ed Belfour.
“I heard he was nice,” said Mason, who obviously had never spoken to NHL forwards after they had ventured into the crease of the pugnacious goalie who copped all kinds of awards with the Blackhawks in the early 1990s and won a Stanley Cup for Dallas later in the decade. “I liked his mask and stuff.”
Yes, the mask. Everybody sees the eagle on “Eddie the Eagle’s” mask. But look closer, near the chin, and you’ll see the symbol for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which arranges positive events for kids stricken with deadly diseases.
Belfour has been involved with Make-A-Wish since around 1993 “because I wanted to give something back. I love kids. I have two of my own and I’m thankful they’re healthy. Some of these kids have a rough, tough time, and I try to help them out.”
So it was a no-brainer when Make-A-Wish offered little Mason, who lives in Vernon Hills, an opportunity to make a wish come true.
“It was Eddie all along,” mother Cindy said. “He’d joke and say he wanted to spend a week with Eddie, like they would just hang out and play Nintendo.”
Just as important as the actual opportunity that Make-A-Wish offers might be the carrot it dangles. It is something to look forward to, a reason to get better, some hope when you’re playing short-handed.
Take little Mason, for example. Doctors prescribed a 2 1/2-year protocol of treatment for him. In that time, he got sick, lost his hair and broke three bones because his density was so low.
But he was back in school three months after being diagnosed, and he was back in the nets for his house league teams after weekends of treatments, sometimes going from the hospital to the hockey rink the same day.
Tough kid. Just like his idol.
Little Mason completed his last chemo treatment in December. Now he goes through monthly physical exams and blood tests. So far, so good.
The blonde-haired, brown-eyed Mason is 9 now. He is 4 feet 6 inches (4-8 on skates, mister) and has bulked up to 65 pounds. He was so ready to meet his favorite player.
So March 3, Mason, brother Duncan, 7, mom Cindy and dad Steve were flown to Dallas for a Stars-Sharks game.
One problem: Belfour didn’t play.
Marty Turco started after Belfour had rearranged the dressing room following a bad performance the previous game.
No matter. Little Mason was treated like a little prince.
“A limo picked us up,” he said. “We went to the game and got souvenirs and sticks. I got [Stars captain] Derian Hatcher to sign something.
“After the game I went into the locker room. I met some guys and got a Belfour jersey and a goalie stick.
“In the hallway [outside the dressing room], I saw [San Jose star] Teemu Selanne walking by with popcorn. Then the limo took us to a real fancy restaurant.”
Where little Mason proceeded to roll out a list of 34 questions he had for Belfour.
“One question was, `How did you feel in Chicago when the crowd goes Belll-fourrrr (derisively)?”‘ Mason said.
What did he say?
“I forgot,” Mason said, but quickly moved on to something else. “I got to wear his Olympic gold medal (that Belfour won as a member of Team Canada in Salt Lake City).
“Guess what I did? I stood up on a chair with the gold medal and threw my hands up and had my mom and dad crouch down like they were the silver and bronze winners.”
Little Mason knows hockey. You can tell instantly when you talk to him. You can see why that dinner took three hours.
Kessler is also a happy kid, full of energy. You can see why you would want dinner to take three hours.
By the end of the night, the kid and the goalie were making faces at each other.
“He’s a good kid,” Belfour said. “It was pretty fun. . The little kid in me comes out.”
Belfour stages an annual fundraiser for Make-A-Wish in the Dallas area. In the past, he has auctioned off chances to take penalty shots on him after a practice. He also buys 10 seats to every Stars game for Make-A-Wish kids in the Dallas area.
If Belfour isn’t careful, he might get a nice reputation.
“I’m intense and I’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Belfour said. “But when you leave the ice, you leave that behind.”
