Great Britain’s Men’s Team and Ice Hockey UK made dreams come true last week following a special link-up with Make-A-Wish UK.
Make-A-Wish UK grants wishes for children living with critical illnesses, helping families spend precious time together and create lasting memories.
Every wish is always life-changing and that was the case for 11-year-old Ivan who has a rare genetic condition called Alagille Syndrome.
His condition affects multiple organs including his liver, heart and kidneys, meaning he attends regular specialist appointments and can become breathless more easily than other children.
Despite this, his mum Colette says he approaches life positively and continues to enjoy the things he loves, including football and now ice hockey.
The family were recently invited to the special VIP ice hockey experience as Great Britain faced Italy at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham after tickets were made available for two families.
Colette explained how her family took up the offer, saying: “I wrote back straight away and said he’d love to watch an ice hockey match.
“One of his friends plays and he’s always mentioning it, but we’ve just never had time to go. Ivan was over the moon. He was so excited.”
The family attended the game as VIP guests where Ivan and his cousin received personalised ice hockey shirts, gifts and the chance to meet players and special guests.
“They bought them both ice hockey shirts with their names and age on which was absolutely lovely,” said Colette. “He’s not taken it off his back yet.”
Alongside unlimited food and drinks, the children also met players after the game and even had a surprise celebrity encounter.
Paul Chuckle, who earlier in the week had hit the ice with defenceman Joe Hazeldine, dropped the puck in front of a sold-out record crowd of over 6,700
“The kids ended up having photos with one of the Chuckle Brothers,” Colette laughed. “They got absolutely spoiled.”
For Ivan, the highlight of the experience was watching the game itself. “He absolutely loved the game,” Colette said. “My favourite part was just seeing his face and how happy he was.”
