Pro Hockey Player Diagnosed with CML

[Guest guest]

Leaf `family' rallies after Blake's CML diagnosis

Oct 09, 2007 04:30 AM

Mark Zwolinski

Sports Reporter

The Leafs intend to respond " like family " as Blake begins his battle

with a form of leukemia.

" All of our thoughts go to and his family, and hopefully something

like coming to the rink and the fact his routine won't change will be good

for him. ... We will be here as a family for him, " captain Mats Sundin said

yesterday, after Blake was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia

(CML).

Blake broke the news of his disease to his teammates prior to practice

yesterday, and said his goal " hopefully to win a Stanley Cup " has not

changed.

According to Leaf doctors CML is a slow-growing cancer of the white blood

cells and there are 500 new cases reported each year in Canada.

" It's an unusual sentence to hear, the first words `cancer,' and the second

`leukemia,' and then hear everything is going to be all right, " Leafs coach

Maurice said.

Maurice said he would treat Blake like any other player and that he wouldn't

resort to asking " how he feels every five minutes " since his fears were

allayed by team doctors.

Blake was restored to the top line with Sundin and Nik Antropov in practice

yesterday, but Maurice said there would be movement in the coming days and

weeks among the top three lines.

" The lines, there's going to be motion there, but it has nothing to do with

what happened to , " said Maurice, who took Blake off the Sundin line in

Saturday's win over Montreal in favour of ei Ponikarovsky.

Maurice said he was told by Leafs general manager Ferguson on Sept. 25

that doctors had found something abnormal in one of Blake's tests.

Blake had his condition " 100 per cent confirmed " last Friday, a day before

helping the Leafs to their first win of the season in a hard-earned 3-2

verdict over Montreal at the Air Canada Centre.

" What do you say, it was a shock to all of us, " Sundin said.

" Any time you hear that word (cancer), you don't associate anything good

with it. But the recovery is good and he can play and go forward with his

life, and that's great news. "

Zavie (age 69)

67 Shoreham Avenue

Ottawa, Canada, K2G 3X3

dxd AUG/99

INF OCT/99 to FEB/00, CHF

No meds FEB/00 to JAN/01

Gleevec since MAR/27/01 (400 mg)

CCR SEP/01. #102 in Zero Club

2.8 log reduction Sep/05

3.0 log reduction Jan/06

2.9 log reduction Feb/07

3.2 log reduction Jun/07

3.6 log reduction Sep/07

e-mail: zmiller@...

Tel: 613-726-1117

Fax: 309-296-0807

Cell: 613-202-0204

ID: zaviem