HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2013-12-23, Page 1i
The
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Luck ow Sentine
www.lucknowsentinel.com
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Monday, December 23, 2013
Lucknow's Paul Henderson is seen in a screen capture from a Dec. 16 Sun News Network interview about his battle with cancer and his faith.
Submitted
Paul Henderson fighting cancer with experimental drug
Joe Warmington
QMI Agency
All Paul Henderson wanted for
Christmas was a clean bill of
health from his deadly cancer.
It was actually more his wife of
50 years, Eleanor, their three
daughters — Heather, Jennifer and
Jill — and seven grandkids who
were doing the asking.
It was no secret it was wishing
for a lot. A miracle may be more
what they were praying for.
www.Iucknowsentinel.com
It was not looking promising.
Just a year ago, the thought that
the legendary Canadian hockey
hero, suffering from chronic lym-
phocytic leukemia, would even be
around for another Christmas was
a dream.
In a column on Henderson in
2012, the Lucknow-raised hockey
star was open about his ongoing
battle with a rare, often terminal,
form of cancer.
"There are signs of it getting
worse," he told me. "I have to
admit the tumours are not getting
any smaller. The cancer is now in
my stomach, chest and lymph
nodes."
He had dropped from 184
pounds to 160 pounds.
The man who scored the win-
ning goal in the final three games
of the 1972 Summit Series against
the then mighty Soviet Union was
running out of both time and
options.
The only goal he was focused on
was trying to stay alive.
But Henderson has been known
to thrive in tough circumstances,
including scoring the goal of the
century with just 34 seconds
remaining in the final game in
Moscow.
More than 41 -years removed, he
has proved his flare of beating the
odds once again.
"It's either chemotherapy or a
clinical trial," he said in 2012.
He chose the clinical trial and
with fingers crossed went down to
Bethesda, Md.
"The tumour in my stomach was
the size of a grapefruit," said Hend-
erson, who was at the Toronto
Sun's downtown offices for an
appearance on Michael Coren's
Sun News Network show, The
Arena.
"My spleen was double the size
and the tumours were all over my
body including in my armpits and
my lymph nodes were swollen."
Enter an experimental drug, called
Ibrutinib, which is now being
referred to as "breakthrough"
therapy.
"I take two little pills in the
morning."
The tumours began to shrink and
now while Henderson can't say his
cancer is in remission, it is as close to
that as someone with his form of the
disease can ever hope for.
"In my bones, they said they were
87% affected and now it's down to
5%," he added. "And the tumour in
my stomach that was the size of the
grapefruit is all but gone"
He has put all his weight back on
and is back to 184 pounds.
"I just feel great," he said. "I feel
terrific but I think it's even better for
my family."
Yes, Eleanor, the kids and grand -
kids' prayers have been answered.
CONTINUED > PAGE 2
1 3 *
Lucknow Santa
letters
The
$1.50
HST included
PM40064683R07656
Luck ow Sentine
www.lucknowsentinel.com
n
Monday, December 23, 2013
Lucknow's Paul Henderson is seen in a screen capture from a Dec. 16 Sun News Network interview about his battle with cancer and his faith.
Submitted
Paul Henderson fighting cancer with experimental drug
Joe Warmington
QMI Agency
All Paul Henderson wanted for
Christmas was a clean bill of
health from his deadly cancer.
It was actually more his wife of
50 years, Eleanor, their three
daughters — Heather, Jennifer and
Jill — and seven grandkids who
were doing the asking.
It was no secret it was wishing
for a lot. A miracle may be more
what they were praying for.
www.Iucknowsentinel.com
It was not looking promising.
Just a year ago, the thought that
the legendary Canadian hockey
hero, suffering from chronic lym-
phocytic leukemia, would even be
around for another Christmas was
a dream.
In a column on Henderson in
2012, the Lucknow-raised hockey
star was open about his ongoing
battle with a rare, often terminal,
form of cancer.
"There are signs of it getting
worse," he told me. "I have to
admit the tumours are not getting
any smaller. The cancer is now in
my stomach, chest and lymph
nodes."
He had dropped from 184
pounds to 160 pounds.
The man who scored the win-
ning goal in the final three games
of the 1972 Summit Series against
the then mighty Soviet Union was
running out of both time and
options.
The only goal he was focused on
was trying to stay alive.
But Henderson has been known
to thrive in tough circumstances,
including scoring the goal of the
century with just 34 seconds
remaining in the final game in
Moscow.
More than 41 -years removed, he
has proved his flare of beating the
odds once again.
"It's either chemotherapy or a
clinical trial," he said in 2012.
He chose the clinical trial and
with fingers crossed went down to
Bethesda, Md.
"The tumour in my stomach was
the size of a grapefruit," said Hend-
erson, who was at the Toronto
Sun's downtown offices for an
appearance on Michael Coren's
Sun News Network show, The
Arena.
"My spleen was double the size
and the tumours were all over my
body including in my armpits and
my lymph nodes were swollen."
Enter an experimental drug, called
Ibrutinib, which is now being
referred to as "breakthrough"
therapy.
"I take two little pills in the
morning."
The tumours began to shrink and
now while Henderson can't say his
cancer is in remission, it is as close to
that as someone with his form of the
disease can ever hope for.
"In my bones, they said they were
87% affected and now it's down to
5%," he added. "And the tumour in
my stomach that was the size of the
grapefruit is all but gone"
He has put all his weight back on
and is back to 184 pounds.
"I just feel great," he said. "I feel
terrific but I think it's even better for
my family."
Yes, Eleanor, the kids and grand -
kids' prayers have been answered.
CONTINUED > PAGE 2