From Syracuse to Tampa Bay, the hockey community has rallied around Parker, providing strength, support, and unforgettable moments during his battle
As 11-year-old Parker Wears continues to fight brain cancer, his fandom for the Tampa Bay Lightning organization has kept him in a positive spirit.
Wears enjoyed Monday’s morning skate from a seat in AMALIE Arena alongside his family before heading down to the team locker room, where he met numerous players and coach Jon Cooper. The young Lightning fan is set to ignite the Tesla coil pregame tonight before the Lightning take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
Hockey—and the Lightning—has kept Wears’ positivity afloat despite battling cancer at a young age.
“We had a tough conversation last night. It’s kind of got him through it,” Parker’s father, Dan, said of hockey and the Lightning organization’s support on Monday. “It’s huge. It keeps giving him something to hope for and something to look forward to. It has a huge positive impact on him.”
After Parker complained of headaches in December, an MRI revealed a cancerous brain tumor that required immediate surgery on Dec. 10. He recently completed seven weeks of radiation treatments.
Wears is visiting Tampa from his hometown of Baldwinsville, New York, which is about 20 minutes from Syracuse. The Wears family wanted to see the Lightning in person before Parker begins nine rounds of chemotherapy—about a year’s worth—a week from today.
Parker is unable to skate or play hockey currently due to his condition, but the young defenseman has stayed close to the game however possible.
Love from the Lightning
Parker’s love for the Lightning stems from his fandom for the Syracuse Crunch, Tampa Bay’s affiliate in the American Hockey League. He became a fan of the Lightning because of their connection to the nearby Crunch.
“I like the Crunch, and they’re affiliated with them and our teams have a similar logo,” he said.
Wears has worked as a volunteer member of Syracuse’s ice crew for the last two seasons but hasn’t been able to partake this year due to his condition. That hasn’t lessened his hardcore fandom for the Crunch or Lightning.
Hockey is Parker’s favorite sport, and the family hopes that someday he’ll be able to play again.
“For him to have that taken away is really hard,” Dan said. “I think that all of this interaction with pro athletes, whether it’s the AHL or the NHL, just has such a positive impact and kind of keeps him in touch with the game and keeps him thinking about it and still looking forward to playing again someday. That’s the hope and that’s the goal is that he will get on the ice again.”
Parker’s toughness is visible. Three months ago the youngster was bound to a wheelchair, and on Monday he walked around the Lightning locker room excitedly as he met some of his heroes.
Victor Hedman—who Parker said was his favorite Lightning player—spent time with Parker on Monday morning, gifting the 11-year-old a signed stick after taking a picture together in the Lightning locker room.
Wears was also excited to see forward Gage Goncalves, a player the Wears family has enjoyed cheering for in both Syracuse and Tampa Bay. Parker owns one of Goncalves’ hockey sticks, this one signed by an entire Crunch roster.
A few months ago, the Crunch had Parker read the starting lineup in the locker room before he started radiation. His father called it a nice “sendoff” to the next phase of treatment.
Crunch defenseman Max Crozier and his girlfriend recently visited the Wears family home for dinner and even a few competitive games of knee hockey. Crozier checks in with the Wears family often and texted Dan to make sure the family would be able to attend Monday’s game in Tampa Bay.
When Crozier was recalled to play with the Lightning in January, the television broadcast flashed to the defenseman while the Wears family watched from home. In the middle of an NHL game, on Crozier’s wrist rested a bracelet in support of Parker and his fight against cancer.
“We had a bunch of people at our house, and the whole group became really big Max Crozier fans that night,” Dan said. “It’s really cool. He’s been really good to us, and really the whole organization has.”
Monday’s visit to Tampa Bay marked Parker’s next sendoff as he preps for chemotherapy and the next stage of his fight against cancer, one the family is hopeful results in a return to the sport Parker loves.
“Hockey has been crazy supportive. From eight-year-olds to here to the Crunch, hockey’s been really good for him emotionally, I think, and really good for him to just kind of keep plugging through,” Dan said. “I don’t think the kids even know the positive impact, but we can see it as parents.”
