Seattle Kraken fan Nadia Popovici, center, looks towards the Vancouver Canucks’ assistant director of equipment Brian “Red” Hamilton, left, at the conclusion of an NHL hockey game in Seattle on Saturday. Popovici had written Hamilton a letter months earlier urging him to see a doctor about a suspicious mole, which turned out to be cancerous.
Ted S. Warren / AP
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Seattle Kraken fan Nadia Popovici, center, looks towards the Vancouver Canucks’ assistant director of equipment Brian “Red” Hamilton, left, at the conclusion of an NHL hockey game in Seattle on Saturday. Popovici had written Hamilton a letter months earlier urging him to see a doctor about a suspicious mole, which turned out to be cancerous.
Ted S. Warren / AP
An NHL employee had a cancerous mole removed after an opposing team fan spotted it from the stands and urged him to get checked. Now, he’s credited her for saving his life, and teams are awarding her a scholarship to medical school this fall.
It all started on October 23, at Seattle Kraken’s first home game against the Vancouver Canucks, by league. Brian “Red” Hamilton, the Canucks’ assistant equipment manager, was cleaning a bench when a young woman sitting nearby noticed a suspicious mole on the nape of his neck.
Kraken fan and resident Takoma Nadia Popovici, 22, notice an unusual mole from her time volunteering in the hospital (The University of Washington’s 2019 graduates plan to begin medical school this fall). Wanting to warn Hamilton but being wary would upset him, she typed a large text on the phone and pressed it against the glass: “A mole on the back of your neck could be cancerous. See a doctor. !”
While Hamilton later said he initially “didn’t give her the time of day,” he asked his wife to take a look the next morning and she noted its odd shape. The team’s doctor also didn’t like the shape of the mole and removed it within a few days. The biopsy showed melanoma in situ 2, which means the cancer is only in the outer layer of the skin – and was found before it could become more dangerous.
“She didn’t get me out of a burning car like the big stories, but she got me out of the slow fire, and then with the doctor’s words that if I ignore that in four to five years, I won’t be here,” he said at a Press Conference on Saturday.
Hamilton wants to thank the person who set up the chain of events, but does not know her identity. So Canucks Post an appeal on social media on Saturday, asking hockey fans to help Hamilton connect with “the woman he considers his hero.”
“That evening, October 23, and the message you showed me on your cell phone will forever be etched into my brain and made a truly life-changing difference to my life. me and my family,” Hamilton’s letter read. “Your hunch was right and the mole on the back of my neck was a malignant tumor and thanks to your persistence and the quick work of our doctors, it is now gone. “
He added that the focus should not be on him, but instead on “an incredible person who takes the time to notice something relevant and then manages to point it out in the chaos of a battle.” hockey game.”
Nadia Popovici poses for a photo before Saturday’s hockey game between the Seattle Kraken and the Vancouver Canucks, showing text messages she showed Hamilton in October.
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Nadia Popovici poses for a photo ahead of Saturday’s hockey game between the Seattle Kraken and the Vancouver Canucks, showing text messages she showed Hamilton back in October.
Ted S. Warren / AP
The note popped up on social media, but Popovici didn’t immediately recognize it – the NHL said she was napping after her overnight volunteer shift on a suicide hotline. Her mother saw the post in a fan’s Facebook group and make the connection.
Popovici – who came to the Kraken game with his stepfather’s season ticket, according to the Seattle Times – was planning to attend Saturday night’s game. But it was no ordinary hockey game.
Hamilton and Popovici had met before for an emotional reunion.
An act of kindness towards another human that Brian (Red) will forever be grateful for.
Brian and Nadia had an emotional meeting before tonight’s game in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/xvld8x2ltz
– Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) January 2, 2022
Video footage share to twitter shows them hugging and chatting about their journey, from Popovici’s initial discovery of the mole to Hamilton’s attempt to find the girl.
Popovici admitted that she was nervous about bringing it up and trying to get Hamilton’s attention at a time when there weren’t many viewers. He told her he was caught off guard by her note but was touched by her persistence, and felt he owed her to take action and check the mole.
They also thanked each other profusely. Hamilton thanked Popovici for her life-changing efforts, and Popovici thanked his wife for noticing and encouraging him to take it seriously.
Popovici also said she has been accepted to several medical schools and will begin admissions in the fall, calling the experience a “quite invaluable” way to start that journey.
The NHL, however, has put a price on her heroism. Krakens and the Canucks teamed up to award her a $10,000 scholarship, which they announced in-game when Popovici’s stunned reaction was captured on camera.
As NHL.com reported, Hamilton was particularly shocked when Popovici even saw the mole, as he was wearing a jacket with a radio attached to the back.
But you don’t have to be a prospective medical student to spot melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.
Experts say you should Look for the following features: asymmetrical, irregular border, changing color, larger than 1/4 inch in diameter and growing (or ABCDE). And here’s more from NPR on How to apply sunscreen for maximum protection.
This story originally appeared on the Morning version live blogs.
