Originally published at National Catholic Register
The day before Christmas Eve, as millions are frantically shopping for last-minute gifts or tying up loose ends in the office to head home for the holiday, the Prout High School hockey team of Wakefield, Rhode Island made their way to Kent Hospital in Warwick after getting off the ice following an early morning practice.
The air was frigid, teetering in single digits as the teens walked inside eager to meet some of the patients staying within the ACE unit, one of the only hospital units in the state that caters specifically to geriatric patients. The hallways of this hospital are known by some of the players — especially Riley Smith, who visited his grandpa at this hospital during his battle with cancer just last year. And this Christmas, Smith learned that he wasn’t alone in what he had endured.
Prout Hockey player Riley Smith poses with his grandfather, Bill Murphy, who grew up playing hockey as well, just ahead of a game during the 2022 season. Murphy passed away from cancer Oct. 1, 2023.(Photo: Courtesy photo)
“The experience and hearing examples of other teammates’ grandparents brings into perspective that it applies to almost everyone’s life and surrounding family members,”
