Hockey Fights Cancer | Leyton Stewart pays it forward
By Will MacLaren
Quebec Remparts rookie defenseman Leyton Stewart comes from not only a hockey family but arguably the hockey family of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. His father, Dave, was a fan favorite with the local Jr. A Bulldogs and St. Francis Xavier University before embarking on a lengthy semi-pro career. His brothers, Zac and Meryk, suit up in the Jr. B and U-15 ranks, respectively. Sister Rhyah attended training camp with the Cape Breton Eagles this season. At the heart of this group is Gail, the kid’s mother and Dave’s wife.
You won’t find Gail within the cyber pages of Hockeydb or Elite Prospects. But in 2022, you could find her name, and an entire hockey community’s effort to aid her and her family, in many locations.
Early that year, as Leyton was wrapping up his Major U-18 career with the Cape Breton West Islanders, his parents gathered all the children together for a chat. After noticing and reporting key symptoms, Gail had been diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, a form of both blood and bone cancer. Leyton remembers vividly.
“We were all on the couch together when she told us,” Stewart recalls. “It came as a shock. She went to New Glasgow for a checkup since her blood levels were low and they made the diagnosis. It was a tough moment for our family.”
Leyton’s dad was never one to turn away from a fight in his day. Now, his entire family had to show an even greater degree of courage in a much more critical battle. They went to work right away, knowing a heavy treatment regimen lay ahead. To complicate matters further is the fact no one in the family was a matching donor, something which occurs, unfortunately, roughly 75% of the time.
So, it was time for the hockey world to do its part. With the age of eligibility to participate in the stem cell registry set at 17-35, there were plenty of worthy candidates.
“Every day there was usually a new team or organization that offered to support the cause,” Leyton, who spent last year with the MHL’s Weeks Jr. A Crushers, mentions. “There were a lot of swabs conducted through Hockey Gives Blood. A few (MHL) teams did it among eligible players, including some of my teammates (on the Crushers). My cousin at the time was playing for Summerside (Western Capitals) so he did it. We had ties to the Moncton Wildcats through the old Cape Breton West coach (and then-Wildcats Assistant Coach, Nick McNeil). Even opposing coaches, they’d reach out to me and ask me how I was and how my family was doing. That helped a lot.”
In the end, Gail’s battle led to the addition of 2500 new names to Canadian Blood Services’ stem cell registry. Eventually, an anonymous matching donor was found which led to a successful stem cell transplant. However, before that could even occur, several blood transfusions were required to allow Gail to even receive the required surgery.
Today, Leyton gratefully reports that his mother is back to her typical, pre-cancer, hockey inundated life. And while the entire Stewart family is grateful for all who stepped up in an attempt to offer help when they needed it most, Leyton has taken that gratitude to another level.
“My first (blood) donation was shortly after I turned 17,” he recalls. “Seeing how many blood transfusions she needed inspired me to give back any way I could.”
Leyton has joined the Hockey Gives Blood initiative. Not only has he made three donations (and counting) since reaching the minimum age requirement, he has also joined the ever-growing list of everyday heroes on the stem cell registry.
He also has advice for those who are drawn into the fight against cancer as members of the inner circle of those who are battling.
“You have to have a lot of hope and belief that (the person in your life) will battle and overcome,” Leyton suggests. “And never be afraid to reach out to people for support. Keeping it inside is no good for anyone. Rely on those you trust to get through the tough times.”
Advice we would all be wise to adhere to in any given situation. And from an admirable source. After all, Leyton Stewart knows a thing or two about family.
