From cancer clinic to centre ice with the Vancouver Canucks, Salmon Arm’s Jane Scranton has come a long way.
Jane, 12, was invited to participate in the NHL’s 25th annual Hockey Fights Cancer event in Vancouver on Nov. 28. There Jane will get to join the Canucks on the ice for their pre-game warm up, then join them on the blue line for the national anthem before hitting the stands to watch them face off against the Anaheim Ducks.
Jane was diagnosed with leukemia at age 5, and has since beaten it.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will let the young hockey enthusiast, who plays for the U13 Female Silverhawks Rec team, share the ice with her favourite Canucks – former Silverbacks player Akito Hirose, and Quinn Hughes – who both play defence like she does.
Helping to make this experience possible was her oncology nurse from the B.C. Children’s Hospital (BCCH) – where Jane underwent over two-and-a-half years of treatment – who submitted her name for consideration. This is just the latest way in which Jane, who has been cancer-free since she finished treatment in 2019, is “living life to the fullest.”
“She’s got a great outlook,” said her mom Kim, recalling a recent conversation in which Jane declared she loves her life. “She’s ready to shake it off and move on.”
Though Jane has a clean bill of health, she still has regular check ups and blood tests done, with those just having dropped to yearly visits after being gradually tapered down from more frequent appointments. Additionally, the BCCH now comes up to Kelowna to do follow ups with kids in the Okanagan and Shuswap, meaning the Scranton’s don’t have to make the long trip to Vancouver anymore.
They are, however, looking forward to this final road trip.
“We’re taking the whole family,” Kim said. “They came when she was sick, so they should get to come now too.”
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