It is said with a heavy heart that the young soldier Sarah Duval has passed away this past week from a blood infection at age eleven. Sarah was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia in May of 2020. Her positive attitude and upbeat nature accompanied her throughout her battles throughout her life whether that was on the field, the ice, or in the classroom. Sarah’s story resonates deeply with me as we shared the interest in the same sports; hockey and soccer. Growing up when I was her age, I was playing against the teams she was rostered on- and usually these teams like the Vipers were always a battle until the third period. Her athleticism is a testament to who she was as a young individual. She was inspired by her first grade teacher who aided her in reading to grow up and become a reading teacher. She wanted to help kids in her future the way she was guided. Not many young minds operate this way, which is why I can only imagine how strong she was during her fight against cancer. I wrote a blog dedicated to Sarah Duval where anyone can spread love and support. There has been a Sarah Duval Scholarship Fund created via GoFundMe in her name that will go towards helping students in the future with Sarah’s aspirations to help others. All of the details about fundraising for the Duval family are online at Angelasarmy.org located on the blog tab. Please take some time to read and support the Duval family. As part of the hockey community, family and friends encourage anyone to leave a stick on their door step with #SarahStrong to shed light on her story and life. Please go read my blog for more details and information as to how you can help and spread some kindness. RIP Sarah, heaven gained an angel and a tough one at that 💜 #SarahStrong
As I approach my fourth PET scan within the last 12 months this Friday I was happy to send off a generous donation we accumulated from selling Angela’s Army winter hats! (Which are still available online 😌) Throughout the month of February, Dana Farber and @thejimmyfund will be tripling the amount of all donations! Thank you all to who donated and supported my @thejimmyfund /Dana Farber fundraiser for the last month and a half! Their mission for these donations is to fund the development of new cancer treatments, purchase the latest equipment for cutting edge research labs, support survivorship programs to help all patients thrive, fund pediatric programs, and fund research that may results in the next scientific breakthrough! Thank you all 🖤🖤🖤