BOSTON (WHDH) - Bruins forward and Walpole native Chris Wagner gave a special shout out to a friend battling a rare form of cancer Tuesday night, dedicating his goal to him.
Tom Budreau knew his back pain was more than just normal aches and pains so he asked his wife of two-months, Kristen, to drive him to the emergency room.
“I woke up in pain that I can’t possibly describe,” Budreau said. “I’m kind of like biting my pillow, yelling.”
After seeing a number of doctors and specialists, he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma — a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
The tumor was discovered on his spinal cord and due to early detection, it had not spread.
“The oncologists are optimistic that given that it is local and that we caught it early that I have a fairly high percentage of curing this thing.”
Budreau will now have to undergo six-months of radiation and chemotherapy at Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
But he will not have to go it alone, as demonstrated by the assist given to him by Wagner in the second period of the Bruins game against the San Jose Sharks.
Wagner took time out after the game to talk about his gesture and his friend’s strength.
“I just want to give a shout out though to that goal. One of my buddies Tom Budreau got diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma last week so we are going to start raising money for him,” Wagner said. “You know, my foot is kind of sore but it is nothing compared to what he is about to go through.:
This gesture took Budreau and his family by surprise but they said they are grateful to have the support of the Bruins behind them as they begin this journey.
As bills and out of pocket expenses are expected to exceed $100,000 over the next six-months, Budreau said, “I am feeling very, very lucky today.”
There are fewer than 1,000 cases of Ewing sarcoma diagnosed in the United States per year.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help the Budreau family raise money for treatment.
For more information visit Budreau’s website.
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