A Connecticut student has a little more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving after receiving a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother.
Charlie Capalbo went from goaltending his high school hockey games to fighting for his life at Boston Children’s Hospital battling cancer not once — but twice.
The scary diagnosis was followed by a beacon of hope after his brother Will was informed he was a bone marrow match — a procedure that would save his brother’s life.
“That is the ultimate gift,” Charlie said. “It’s almost hard to fathom.”
“The first time that Charlie was sick Will felt I think super helpless,” mother Jenny Capablo said. “When we got the news and told him, I knew that this was life-changing for him.”
Months after the treatment, Charlie is back on the ice at his home rink.
It’s the lessons he learned on the ice that gave him the mental strength to forge on in his treatment.
“It definitely is one of the most mentally driven positions in any sport,” he said. “That helped me in the hospital. You know? Some of the darkest days and even on some of the best days in the hospital you need to stay level headed.”
Making it back onto that ice was the goal that kept him going through it all.
“It’s kind of scary thinking that you might not be able to ever do what you love again,” Charlie said.
Charlie’s family is also thankful for the people who made them feel at home during their six-month stay at Children’s Hospital.
“When you’re in the hospital for a really long time it is very hard to stay positive,” Jenny said wiping away tears. “The child life specialists are amazing at keeping you entertained and social.”
This December the family will celebrate Charlie’s progress while raising money for those who made all the difference in his care.
“The better funds they have, the happier we can make kids at the hardest time in their life,” Charlie said.
Now that he is in remission Charlie said he plans to go back to college.
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