There are two things people tell you about Kalen Anderson: her love for hockey and her big smile that can light up a room.
But over the last year, the Alberta girl’s smile was hidden behind a lot of fear and unknowns as Anderson was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer — synovial sarcoma — at just 15.
Over six months, Anderson fought for her life, and in May, she was told she was in remission.
That news brought back her big smile, and it got even bigger when she returned to the ice to play hockey in September. But it practically became permanent last week when she went on a trip of a lifetime to practise with her favourite hockey team.
As part of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Anderson flew to Washington and signed a two-day contract with the Washington Capitals. She got to meet her favourite player T.J. Oshie, who introduced her to the entire team, and put on goalie pads to stop pucks.
“The only thing I knew was that I was going to the game and that I was going on the ice with them because I had to bring my goalie gear… I can’t even describe the feeling. Those are the people I watch every game they play. I was actually on the ice with them, and they were shooting pucks at me,” said Anderson, who lives in Fort Saskatchewan but goes to school at Edmonton’s Vimy Ridge Academy.
“When I met T.J., I just froze. I felt so bad because I was so awkward because I didn’t know what to say… I was frozen.”
Oshie even gave up his locker stall for Anderson, and after practice, she sat in her stall with her very own nameplate and answered questions from the media about her big day.
The next night, she dropped the ceremonial puck as part of the Capitals’ Hockey Fights Cancer Night, and she got to watch the game with Oshie and his family in a private suite.
‘I proved them wrong’
The type of cancer Anderson was diagnosed with is rare. It affects soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels.
In August 2023, Anderson’s right leg started to swell. After an ultrasound, doctors discovered a nine-centimetre mass on her groin.
Doctors performed two biopsies. They were originally told Kalen she was clear, but a week later, they got a phone call informing them it was cancer.
She was diagnosed on Nov. 2, 2023.
All of a sudden, her life as a teenager stopped. She had to leave school, stop playing hockey and spend many days and nights at the Stollery, as well as two months in Florida receiving proton radiation treatment.
“I was in denial for the longest time. I think it really hit me when I started to lose my hair,” said Anderson.
“After the first round of chemo, they noticed I wasn’t recovering the same as others. It took me an extra week than the average person to recover from chemo. The recovery from chemo was the worst part.
“I had trouble drinking and eating. If I stood up, I got really dizzy and would pass out. My body didn’t like what it was going through.“
With the cancer diagnosis, not only was her life at risk, but she also faced the possibility of losing her leg. When Anderson went to Florida for treatment, doctors told her the first thing they were going to do was save her life and then save her leg.
“I think when I fully accepted it, my point of view changed on everything. I just knew there was nothing I could do. Just see how it goes, and whatever goes, goes. I had to have faith in my doctors,” said Anderson.
Doctors told her she would likely never play hockey again, but Anderson has defied the odds. She’s not playing at the level she played at previously, and she’s not in net as a goalie. She’s playing right wing — the same position as Oshie.
She’s showing she’s got pretty good hands for a goalie, having scored five points (two goals and three assists) in five games.
Anderson said there was no way she was going to let cancer get in the way of her love of playing hockey.
“It’s so nice being back on the ice. Just being back is insane because everyone was telling me I wasn’t going to do it, but I proved them wrong,” said Anderson.
‘My daughter is my hero’
Ken Anderson marvels at his daughter’s willpower and strength to overcome so much at such a young age.
“She’s an inspiration to me. Terry Fox was my hero, but my daughter is my hero now. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do what she did.”
Seeing his daughter go through her fight with cancer was the hardest thing he has ever gone through as a parent, he said, adding there were many days where he felt helpless. But there was no way he and his wife weren’t going to be there for Kalen every step of the way.
“We told her, ‘You won’t be alone at any point through this whole thing. We’re going to be with you every step of the way,’ and we were,” said Ken.
“Every night she was in the hospital, one of us was there. She never was alone, and I promised her she’d never fight this alone.”
Ken has many hockey memories with Kalen, but seeing her spend time with the Capitals is one of the best.
“I never had a second-favourite hockey team, but I do now,” said Ken, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
“I will support Washington until the day I die. They went above and beyond anything you can imagine. They treated her like gold, and it was all sincere.”
Kalen’s experience with the Capitals has sparked a fire. She wants to continue playing hockey next year and plans to try out for the Fort Saskatchewan Fury Junior A team as a goaltender.
“Before I got cancer, I always thought every bad thing was the end of the world. Now, I’m better at being calm about roadblocks that come my way,” said Anderson.
“For people that are going through cancer, I want them to know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you have to search for it, it’s there. You have such a strong support system around you. You may not know it, but you do. Friends, family, the doctors, and nurses.
“You have to keep going. You have to fight, even when you don’t want to.“
Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.