Fan identifies cancerous mole of ice hockey team member from stands, saves life
Nadia Popovici, an aspiring medical school in Canada, had gone to watch the Seattle Kraken-Vancouver Canucks ice hockey game with no idea her prognosis would save anyone’s life. While the game was in progress, Popovici noticed a mole on the neck of Canucks assistant equipment manager Brian Hamilton. All she did was tell the person that the mole could be cancerous.
On her phone she wrote: “The mole on the back of the neck is cancer”, in enlarged fonts and continued to hit the plexiglass that separates the ice hockey arena and the public booth. Amidst all the frenzy of the game, Hamilton was finally able to read his post. After seeing the alert, he visited the team doctor and a biopsy revealed it to be cancer.
Hamilton’s mole was a malignant melanoma that could have gotten worse. Fortunately, early detection saved his life. Hamilton and her family wanted to thank Popavici for her prognosis but they knew nothing about her. As the Canucks entered their second game on Saturday, they posted a letter from Hamilton recounting the entire touching incident on social media. He expressed his thanks and his desire to meet the woman who truly saved his life.
Within hours, Popavici was found when her mother stumbled upon the post on another social media page. Hamilton was able to thank Popavici in person. Two hockey teams, the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken, announced in a game that they would give Popovici a $ 10,000 scholarship to cover his medical school fees.
The Canucks posted images of “Red” and Popovici finally meeting and kissing as a thank you. “I’m thrilled,†Hamilton said on a Zoom media call. “That’s the only reason the letter was written. I wanted to thank her for her persistence.” He added: “My mom wants her to know that she loves him.”