NHL
- The St. Louis Blues defeated the Boston Bruins, 4-1, to win their first Stanley Cup title on Wednesday night.
- 11-year-old superfan and Blues good luck charm Laila Anderson was there to celebrate with them.
- Anderson had a rare, life-threatening disease known as Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which causes the body’s immune system to not work properly.
- Defenseman Colton Parayko invited her onto the ice to hold the Stanley Cup with him.
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The St. Louis Blues celebrated their first Stanley Cup title on Wednesday night, but it was not without their 11-year-old superfan Laila Anderson.
Anderson has been going to Blues games her whole life and became a familiar face to the team.
Two years ago, Anderson was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening disease known as Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which causes the body’s immune system to not work properly as a result of overactivity. She’s undergone chemotherapy treatments and had a bone marrow transplant in January.
As Anderson was in isolation making her recovery, the Blues were also turning their season around and suddenly the team had a new good luck charm.
Her and her mom, Heather, were invited to Game 7 at TD Garden after Anderson was cleared by doctors, but the surprises didn’t stop there.
After the Blues defeated the Boston Bruins, 4-1, the team invited Anderson onto the ice to celebrate with them.
Anderson had an emotional reunion with her best friend Colton Parayko before he took her to see the Stanley Cup.
"Unreal! You are the best," Parayko told Anderson. "Thank you so much for coming. We’re so happy to have you."
The two hoisted it in the air together and Parayko lowered it for Anderson to give it a kiss.
"She’s such a warrior. I go visit her at the hospital and she’s happy. She’s maybe having the worst day of the week … She’s happy every single time to see her," Parayko told Scott Oake of Sportsnet. "It just goes to show that there’s so much more to life than hockey. She’s so special. I can’t even put into words what I’ve learned from her and what I can think about her because she really is so special."
Through all the support the Blues have given Anderson, this was her chance to be there to support them.
"I’m just so speechless," Anderson said. "
I wasn’t ready for this night to start because I’m not ready for it to end."
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See Also:
- St. Louis Blues win 1st Stanley Cup, beating Bruins 4-1
- A St. Louis newspaper accidentally ran ads celebrating a Blues’ Stanley Cup championship before the series was over — and now there’s a concern they have jinxed the team
- Tuukka Rask and Charlie McAvoy teamed up for a bonkers save to force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final
Source: Business Insider –