Meeting his heroes
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Kyle Ross used to think the Regina Pats had a tough road schedule.
Then he heard about Cooper Anderson.
The four-year-old Pats fanatic returned home just before Christmas following a six-week stay in Edmonton, where he underwent surgery -- for the third time -- to fix a heart defect. Upon his return, one of Anderson's first requests was to watch his beloved Pats in action.
He did one better.
Ross, along with teammates Tommy Tartaglione and Troy Ofukany, paid a visit to Anderson's home, presenting him with a special package that included a Pats' jersey, a hat, a puck autographed by Ross, and a pennant signed by the team.
His reaction said it all.
"He was beyond ecstatic and it makes us feel wonderful that they would do that for him," offered Daren Anderson, Cooper's dad. "You never want your kids to go through what Cooper has gone through, but when young men like that come over -- and all three of them were just fantastic with him -- his eyes just lit up. It was Christmas all over again."
And not just for Cooper.
"By brightening his day, in turn he brightened ours," noted Ross. "There's a lot of ups and downs and struggles through the season. It's the little things that you forget, that (meeting special fans) is really one of the bonuses of playing in the league and playing for this team. There are a lot of young kids that really look up to us. He has had some struggles so it was really nice to see him so excited."
- - -
Cooper became a Pats fan after attending a handful of games with his parents -- Daren and Leanne -- and two-year-old sister Katie.
During his stay in Edmonton, Cooper received a surprise visit from Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish and forward Raffi Torres. The youngster asked if his visitors were "as good as the Pats," to which his parents responded "they're even better.''
Cooper wasn't convinced.
When MacTavish and Torres left, he made a point of commenting: "I still think the Pats are better."
The story took on a life of its own, eventually finding its way to Doug Exner, the manager of the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. Exner decided to contact Ross, a former member of the Pat C's, to see if he would be willing to pay Cooper a surprise visit.
Ross didn't hesitate.
"When we heard (the story about the Oilers) we were really excited to get the chance to go see him," Ross said with a smile. "His eyes lit up (when the players arrived) and his little sister Katie was there too. They both looked like they were having lots of fun, showing us their Christmas presents and stuff. It was a nice day."
The Andersons were blown away by the kindness of Ross and the Pats. Pictures of the visit have circulated among family and friends who couldn't wait to see the smiling face of a youngster who has endured far more hardships than any child should.
"Something like this really touches a lot of people," noted Daren Anderson. "(Ross) was fantastic. For such a young man to come in to someone's house when you don't even know who they are (is remarkable). He was so good with Cooper and so good with us. Regina should be proud to have him and the Pats should be proud to have him in their organization because he's a super human being."
- - -
Cooper Anderson was born with a heart defect called Double Inlet Left Ventricle, which means he has one ventricle instead of two -- or half a heart. The defect obstructs blood flow to his lungs.
Cooper had his first surgery at five days old. At three months, he went into heart failure and was sent back to Edmonton for another surgery to correct the problem. He underwent the second stage of the procedure on Oct. 26.
Although the operation was deemed a success, there were several complications. He suffered a paralysed right diaphragm and must now drink thickened liquids due to throat problems. He also had blood clots in one of his legs and a blood infection.
Due to another side-effect from the surgery, he's currently on a strict no-fat diet.
"He was bed-ridden for just over three weeks," explained Daren. "He lost almost 25 per cent of his body weight. He's still getting that strength back. He can't really run. Because of his diaphragm being paralysed, he'll get out of breath just telling a story. If he's excited about, say, the Pats coming, he'll phone grandma and he'll get out of breath and need to rest. It's like having bad asthma."
Despite his age, Cooper is aware that he has "a special heart" and that he needed an operation to fix it. He's also remarkably conscientious when it comes to taking breaks when he gets tired, as well as making sure he eats and drinks properly.
"Kids sort of adapt," reasoned Daren. "He just rolls with it, much more than I would, that's for sure. You feel so proud. He never complains."
- - -
Cooper's prognosis looks good, although it remains to be seen how his body will respond as he grows. Being an active child, the family hopes he will have an opportunity to pursue all of his passions.
"(The doctors) basically say as long as everything keeps progressing the way it has been and he keeps getting better, he'll still be able to play some sports," said Daren. "Right now he's on blood thinners. That's the one question. Some kids have to stay on blood thinners the rest of their life, so then he wouldn't be able to play any contact sports. He played soccer the last two summers and played T-ball. He just takes more breaks than the other kids."
With all the challenges in Cooper's life, a visit from the Pats was a welcome respite. It was also a heartwarming moment for his proud parents, who are still gushing about the sight of their son interacting with his heroes.
"You really see how happy he is and how good of a kid he is," added Daren. "You just think, 'Wow, he deserves it.' It just makes our day. It makes us so proud to live in Regina."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
Meeting his heroes
Reply With Quote
