Young Ovarian Cancer Survivor Meets Her Hockey Hero
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The average age for a diagnosis of ovarian cancer is 63, so it was a shock when a 7-year-old Minnesota girl found out she had it.
We first introduced you to Harlie Corneliusen in September. After chemo and some dark days, she is now free of cancer.
She now spends some of her time supporting the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, or MOCA -- which is the spotlight of this week's Tree of Hope series.
Harlie and her sister had no idea they'd be cheering on the Minnesota Wild in person. The day started at WCCO studios, where we were catching up with Harlie and her mom after a tough year.
"I couldn't do hockey because if I hit the boards too hard, the mass would have popped and I would have bled to death," Harlie said.
Harlie's mom, Jayne, says Black Friday has a whole new meaning to the family.
"It was her first chemo treatment," Jayne said.
But a year later, doctors are optimistic that she's had her last treatment.
"We don't have to worry about hospitals or doctors," Jayne said. "It's a good thing."
And Harlie is back on the ice. As a girl from Warroad, it's part of who she is. She says her favorite Wild player is Nino Niederreiter "because of his name." We told the Wild about Harlie and her penchant for hockey.
After keeping the secret for weeks, her parents took her to see the Wild. Still giddy after the game, she heard there would be more. Nino Niederreiter escorted her into the team's locker room, giving her his game stick.
They talked shop, discussing her status playing for Warroad's 8U team. She had the time of her life, a life that once was uncertain.
The girl who beat ovarian cancer now has the stick to prove it -- Nino's game stick.
Harlie's type of ovarian cancer is a different type than older women get, but she and her family have also found support with MOCA.
She says she plans to write about how fun the folks are at MOCA.
Click here for more information on donating to MOCA.
