Rasmus Sandin was on his way to practice in January 2022 when he learned about his mother’s diagnosis. His mom, Helena, was 3,900 miles away at the family’s home in Sweden. He was in Canada with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he started his NHL career. There wasn’t much he could do to help.
“It was tough,” recalled Sandin, now a defenseman for the Washington Capitals. “I’m pretty much on the other side of the world, so I can’t see her right away, even though I wanted to. Luckily, I had only a couple months left in the season. Spent the summer with her. But it was definitely tough. Scary, too.”
Helena was initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but it quickly spread to other organs in her abdomen, requiring “a very big surgery,” Sandin said. Nearly two years since her diagnosis, Helena is doing “way better,” and Sandin, who kept his mother’s health quiet for much of his time in Toronto, is ready to share his family’s experience.
The Capitals are set to host their annual Hockey Fights Cancer game Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It will be Sandin’s fourth such game and his second since his immediate family was touched by cancer.
“It’s always been a special time of year, I feel like, because obviously it’s a terrible disease,” the 23-year-old said. “But of course it gets a little more special. It’s something that I’m trying to do, too — spread awareness and trying to raise as much money as we can to try to find a cure for it. I love this time of year. Of course, it’s a little bit more special now.”
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**From Bailey Johnson:**
Rasmus Sandin was on his way to practice in January 2022 when he learned about his mother’s diagnosis. His mom, Helena, was 3,900 miles away at the family’s home in Sweden. He was in Canada with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he started his NHL career. There wasn’t much he could do to help.
“It was tough,” recalled Sandin, now a defenseman for the Washington Capitals. “I’m pretty much on the other side of the world, so I can’t see her right away, even though I wanted to. Luckily, I had only a couple months left in the season. Spent the summer with her. But it was definitely tough. Scary, too.”
Helena was initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but it quickly spread to other organs in her abdomen, requiring “a very big surgery,” Sandin said. Nearly two years since her diagnosis, Helena is doing “way better,” and Sandin, who kept his mother’s health quiet for much of his time in Toronto, is ready to share his family’s experience.
The Capitals are set to host their annual Hockey Fights Cancer game Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It will be Sandin’s fourth such game and his second since his immediate family was touched by cancer.
“It’s always been a special time of year, I feel like, because obviously it’s a terrible disease,” the 23-year-old said. “But of course it gets a little more special. It’s something that I’m trying to do, too — spread awareness and trying to raise as much money as we can to try to find a cure for it. I love this time of year. Of course, it’s a little bit more special now.”
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