September 28, 2011
ESKS.com
Rose Mary Phillip
“I have a promise to keep,” says Kavis Reed while walking to Stadium Station to catch the LRT. “There is a little boy waiting for this.”
“This” is a game ball autographed by every player on the Eskimo roster encased in Plexiglas. The little boy is Jacob, a 10-year-old who recently survived his 78th surgery.
Jacob was born three months premature and weighing one-and-a-half pounds. He contracted meningitis at two weeks old and is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Reed is proud to call him his friend, despite the fact that Jacob whoops him in arm wrestling … every match.
The two met through the Kavis’ Kids program at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. The day before every home game, Reed visits the kids and their families, bringing Eskimo swag and smile. It’s a head coach tradition started by Danny Maciocia and carried on by Richie Hall.
Each visit, Reed is joined by a player. This season, T.J. Hill, Nate Coehoorn, Rod Williams, Dee Sterling and Scott Mitchell have had the honour. For Mitchell, the experience is personal. As a child, blood poisoning confined him to a hospital bed for three weeks. A related infection nearly took his leg.
“Some of the kids can’t talk but we still put a big old smile on their face when we come and wave at them or toss them the football,” says Mitchell.
On this trip, Reed is accompanied by defensive back Wopamo Osaisai.
During the train ride with Jacob’s treasure in tow, they’re greeted by fans. Some holler “great job!” from a distance. Others approach to inquire about a post-surgical Fred Stamps. Many offer tips to improve the run game. Reed loves it all. It’s an opportunity to connect with the community that has welcomed him home with open arms. On this particular trip, he gives tickets to three people he meets along the way.
When they arrive at the hospital, Reed insists on going to Jacob’s room first. “I have to keep my promise.”
He does. It’s one of many personal moments he shares with the family.
Next, they make their way to “The Beach,” a play area for kids taking a break from treatment.
It’s not long before Reed spots four-year-old Jolene, or, as he calls her, “the prettiest girl I have seen all day.” In 2009, Jolene was diagnosed with cancer of the kidneys. “Day care noticed a big lump in her abdomen when she was lying down,” says her mother, Amy. “We went and had an ultra sound done and that’s when they found it.”
Jolene is shy but still flings her arms around Reed. “We tell her they’re coming and she wants to get to The Beach right away to see them,” says Amy. “It keeps the mind off everything else and is something to look forward to.”
The Eskimo pair talk to every child in the room, offering autographed mini footballs, T-shirts and one-on-one conversation.
At the air hockey table, Reed greets a father from Calgary. It’s clear what he needs and it’s not a mini football. It’s what every father of an ailing child needs and many won’t dare ask for: A hug. Hesitant at first, the man melts into the coach’s arms. “You’re never too big or too old for a hug,” says Reed during the embrace.
In the corner of the room, watching the hug go down, is Ethan. He is quiet, adorable and wearing Roughrider gear. Gasp. Reed attempts to convert the four-year-old to the Eskimo Empire with no success.
“More teams should visit the hospital for kids,” says Ethan’s mother Amanda. “It’s very nice to see the kids smile and all excited.”
Not all kids can go to The Beach. So, Reed and Osaisai go to them.
On the burn unit, they meet a tween from northern Alberta. He pauses his Madagascar video game and admits he doesn’t know when the Eskimos play next. There’s a quick fix. Reed writes the next day’s game information on the white board in his room – slightly larger than the nurse’s information and next to what looks like a medication schedule. With some coaxing, the tween shows off his artwork. Reed buys a drawing of a rainbow from the kid for $5. It hangs in his office next to photos of several of children.
“They are such beautiful people. They don’t know that they are sick. If I had a magic wand, I would point it at them and make it all better. But, I can’t do that so I bring a smile for a brief moment to their faces,” says Reed.
Every child they meet today is greeted with as much energy and enthusiasm as the one before and each receives a personalized Eskimo keepsake.
During the trip back to Commonwealth Stadium, Reed and Osaisai join other regular commuters on the train. Reed cannot recall names, but he remembers their faces, comments and nail polish – green and gold alternating fingernails. Go Esks.
“I never leave there not thinking about those kids and the perspective they give me,” says Reed who has photos of the kids hanging in his office. “Every single time I leave that hospital, I am praying that they will all be okay and knowing that my job is not as big as I may think it is sometimes.”
Click here to view the Kavis’ Kids Photo Gallery