The Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse club brightened up the spirits of a young fan and his family after organizing a mini social distance vehicle parade that went by his house in Saskatoon on March 27.
Four-year-old Jett Reis has an exceedingly rare, aggressive, inoperable pediatric brain tumour known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), which has no cure. He was diagnosed with the brain tumor in early February.
After hearing his story the Rush organization wanted to do something for him and his family.
“When we heard Jett’s story we knew we had to get involved,” said Andrea Glieheisen, vice president of marketing for the Saskatchewan Rush. “So all of our staff came together and we wanted to give their family a day to remember.”
The parade featured the Rush monster truck, the Rush MVP limo among other Rush vehicles. Bruiser and the Rush Hulk were also a part of the parade to the amusement of the Reis family.
“We were so thrilled to get together, and to see the family and the outpouring of smiles and laughter it was just perfect,” said Glieheisen. “We really wanted to give the family a day to just put some smiles on their faces and put their worries behind them.”
The Hulk is Jett’s favourite superhero and he had the opportunity to meet the Rush Hulk up close which ended in some fist bumps .
“We couldn’t ask for a better fit for Jett,” said Jett’s dad, Manny Reis. “The Hulk is his ultimate superhero and the minute the Rush heard about it, the (Rush) Hulk reached out immediately.”
The Reis family is going through some tough times because of Jett’s tumor diagnoses and they are very appreciative of the support they have received from the community including “Rush Nation”.
“They come and do a parade, which just shines some light on our whole family,” said Manny. “We can’t thank them (the Rush) enough and we can’t thank everybody enough who have sent out their love, their support, and their prayers.”
Jett has four other siblings and not only do gestures, like this Rush Parade, help alleviate what he has to deal with, but it also helps take their minds off the situation as well.
“We’ve been hit with some of the hardest news parents have to go through,” said Jett’s mom Larisa. “It’s been pretty tough, but it’s things like this that have helped us get through it. It seems like every week people are reaching out to us and doing so many special things for Jett.”
Even though Jett has been dealt a bad hand in life, his parents say that he has had a positive outlook regarding the situation and that his attitude is what helps them get through these trying times.
“That smile is what fuels us everyday to put our feet on the ground and look at the next step,” said Manny.
The Reis family is very thankful for all the help and support they’ve received, so they want to give back by bringing awareness to organizations like The Cure Starts Now. Even though that cancer charity has done a lot of research on DIPG, it believes that it’s not about fighting just one cancer, but the elimination of cancer as a whole.
Also during the parade the Rush’s game-day DJ, Armed with Harmony Music Services, provided music which brought that energy of a Rush game.
“It was so much fun to put on and when you see the smiles on everybody’s faces, it just made it perfect,” said Glieheisen.
Jett had just completed his 30 days of radiation on March 25 and his mom said the parade was a great way to celebrate that milestone.
