There are people who are put in our lives to inspire us. Who make us realize life really isn’t that bad. The kind of people who take the bad things in life and build upon them turning them into something beautiful and inspiring. Nowadays those people are a rare find kind of like a shooting star. You search for them. You hope for them. One day you find them and they change your life. Today you can put your search on hold for I am introducing all of you to an inspiration. A young man who has taken a bad thing and molded it into something good.
I would like to introduce you to Roger Morris Ice Hockey Alum and current Bakersfield Condors player Chris Kushneriuk. While training for the current 2012-2013 season Chris began to have stomach pains that gradually worsened. What they thought were kidney stones turned out to be testicular cancer. Most people would become depressed upon realizing their life is hanging in the balance. On top of that the thing Chris loves the most, playing hockey, would have to be put on hold for the duration of treatments. Most people would have a hard time coming to terms with this situation. Chris Kushneriuk is not most people. His outlook on having cancer is incredible. In an October interview with Gary Heeman, writer at Uscho.com, Chris Kushneriuk stated :
When something like this happens, you really look at life in a different light and you see things differently. I really appreciate things more like family and friends — the true finer things in life, not the material things. I wake up every day excited for having another chance to fight this.
It doesn’t stop at this statement either. If you take a look at Chris’ twitter (@stonecoldkush ) you will see what kind of person he truly is. Chris leaves treatment updates. He tells people he’s never met to have a blessed day. Chris thanks all of those who send him well wishes. He tries to keep his attitude on the situation positive. This man took something so horrible, so dreadful, so ugly, and turned it into something beautiful. Chris is taking delight in his weakness and making it his strength.
Tomorrow Chris will have a round of stem cell treatments and will begin high dose chemotherapy on Wednesday. Unfortunately these life saving treatments do not come cheap. ECHL players do not make much money. If you have the money please consider donating to help the Kushneriuk’s pay for treatments. Below are a few options.
- The Robert Morris University Men’s hockey team is selling blue bracelets for $5 that say “RMU HOCKEY KRUSHES CANCER.” You can send a self addressed envelope and Check or money order to :
RMU Men’s hockey
6001 University Blvd
Moon Township, PA 15108 - You can make a donation through chriskushneriuk.org
- If you live in or around the Ottawa area there will be a fundraiser at the Great Canadian Cabin restaurant on December 15th. There will be many items up for auction including a Robin Lehner goal stick signed by the Ottawa Senator’s farm team the Binghamton Senators. The restaurant is located on York Street in the ByWard Market. Please consider going.
Every dollar helps. If you can’t give money please give your support and strength. Please consider taking a moment to pass this story around. It takes a minute to retweet, post this to facebook, or tell a friend about this incredible young man. Please keep him in your prayers, thoughts, hearts, and mind. Especially this upcoming week.
If you would like to learn more about Chris Kushneriuk I’ve placed a few articles and sites below:
- chriskusneriuk.org
- faceoff.com story on Chris
- uscho.com story on chris
- wayne scanlon of the ottawa citizen’s story on chris
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Ryan Salmons was an avid Columbus Blue Jackets fan. During the 2008-2009 season Salmons was undergoing cancer treatments and had a chance to meet many of the players. On November 12th 2008 he was invited to meet with the on ice officials before the Coyotes game and given a special officials uniform. Salmons was then given a tour of the Columbus Blue Jackets locker room with Jason Chimera and Manny Malhotra as his tour guides. I bet you think the story ends here. It doesn’t. On March 25th, 2009 the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Ryan Salmons to a $3 one-day contract. Marc Methot even gave up his number for the cause. Ryan even got to appear on ESPN with Jason Chimera to talk about the signing. You can watch the video 
I met Kevin Neff when I was a sophomore in high school. His sister Mary and I were sitting together during lunch when he came over to ask her for lunch money. I became instantly quiet. Yes, you read that correctly. I,Elaine Shircliff, was quiet. Kevin fascinated me with his light hearted nature and devilish grin. Over the years we bonded over our love of Bob Marley and sports. He always had this uncanny way of putting a positive spin on everything. For instance, I used to hate the rain with a passion. I would complain about it constantly. “Rain? Why does it have to rain? It messes everything up. It’s cold. Complain, complain, complain.” One day Kevin had enough. He grabbed my hand, dragged me outside, and made me dance in the rain. In that one moment Kevin changed my outlook on things I can not control. In the fall of 2001 Kevin was diagnosed with brain cancer. I was on a constant emotional roller coaster. One week he was doing great. The next week he wasn’t doing well at all. Kevin never complained through all of this. I took his lead. I sucked it up and smiled like there was nothing wrong. After everyone went to sleep I would take a taxi to the Neff’s house. Kevin would sneak me in and we’d stay up all night talking about the most ridiculous things. The kind of things that make you laugh so hard you can’t see straight. Kevin also taught me everything he knew about snowboarding and baseball. I taught him everything I knew about hockey and operas. We talked about our dreams and goals. We even made plans to go to every NHL hockey arena and MLB baseball stadium when he was better. The before school phone calls, the late night laughing sessions, and skipping school (sorry mom and dad) to eat lunch with him went on for many months. In January of 2003 Kevin and I were on the phone talking about the upcoming “4th Day” retreat I was going on. I was worried because I didn’t want to go an extended period of time without checking in on him. Kevin told me I was being stupid. He told me to go and not call him until Monday night. Kevin said he would be fine. Nothing would happen. At 5:30 that Monday morning Kevin lost his battle with cancer.
That’s right my dad kicked cancer’s butt not once but twice. In the early 90s he was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. At that point in time stage 2 was considered a death sentence. During this battle we lived right outside of Chicago. Six hours away from our family we all leaned on each other and God for support. This moment in our lives was pivotal in creating the bond my parents and I have today. If it wasn’t for experimental drugs and radiation my “today” would be a lot different. I cannot guarantee I would be the same person I am today if I grew up with out my daddy. I wouldn’t know anything about musicals. I wouldn’t know how to do my taxes. I probably never would have gone to Walsh Jesuit High School. I also wouldn’t appreciate the things life has given me. As much as my momma tries to beat it in my head that my life is good it doesn’t always take. Sometimes my daddy just knows how to lay it out there. For instance, when I was younger I complained about not having video games or Air Jordans. My mom tried to explain to me our lack of funds because as we all know cancer treatments do not come cheap. I can be pretty bull-headed and continued to hound my momma day and night. “I want Jordans. I want a Sega. I want cable. I want to be like everyone else. Why don’t we have nice things? Blah Blah Blah.” My dad finally had enough. He was supposed to take me to a sleep over but when we got to her house the car didn’t stop. My dad turned onto Ogden Avenue, drove out of Lyons, and just kept on driving. I had no clue where he was taking me. If you know anything about my daddy you don’t ask questions in serious situations. Why? The answer will usually be “You will sit there and shut your mouth.” Trust me, you will shut your mouth. So instead of questioning where we were headed I stared out into the night sky. I watched the neighborhoods slowly get worse until we ended up in front of a homeless shelter in the south side. I watched as all kinds of people walked through the doors. Women with only the clothes on their backs. Children holding a doll. Men in tattered jeans. No one looked like they had showered. Many looked worn out and thin. I just watched in silence. Finally my dad asked “Do you want to live here?” I didn’t answer him. “That’s where we will end up if we buy you everything you want. We barely have the money to live but we can. We are lucky to have a roof over our head and food in our fridge. You are lucky to have all the ninja turtle and more than one pair of clothes. We are lucky.” After he finished his statement my daddy started the car and drove me home. I remember crying myself to sleep. Not because I couldn’t have what I wanted. I cried for those who couldn’t have what they needed. In that one moment my dad instilled a lesson of appreciation within me. A lesson I would never of learned had he died.
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