By Jordan Bay

Grey Cup pays special visit to young cancer survivor in Olds

Feb 12, 2019 | 1:33 PM

The Grey Cup made a very special stop at an elementary school in Olds for a student battling cancer.

Ryan Sceviour, offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders, along with Stamps alumni Jay McNeil and Stu Laird took the Grey Cup for a surprise trip to Ėcole Olds Elementary School on Monday to see Stamps fan Carter Thompson, who recently overcame Stage III non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Carter was also born with a heart condition and had a heart transplant as a newborn. After that he had many years of good health until his cancer diagnosis last summer.

After sessions of chemotherapy and isolation his cancer has gone into remission. He still has regular appointments to monitor his health.

Tracy Thompson, Carter’s mom, explains Carter’s reaction to the surprise Grey Cup visit.

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“He said to me that he was very excited and said ‘Mom, when I think about it, having cancer and coming out on the other end okay and surviving, I think that’s what it would be like with those players winning the Grey Cup.’ So for him to have it come to the school he definitely felt like a champion at the end of a rough battle for sure.”

Deb Osiowy, CFO of the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, says getting the Grey Cup to Carter was a process long in the making.

“Kids Cancer Care has been working to support Carter and his family through his diagnosis last year, so as we’ve gotten to know Carter and his mom Tracy, we learned they were huge Calgary Stampeders fans,” she noted. “When we learned that we tried to see if we could use a little bit of a personal connection to see if we could help Carter and his family.”

Osiowy reached out to Laird, a family friend, who helped get some Stampeders gear for Carter’s family at Christmas time and mentioned he might be able to get the Grey Cup out for a visit.

“It became a very, very special day that came together very quickly,” she says.

Thompson adds that this surprise was good for Carter and the whole school.

“I think it’s a twofold, it’s what Carter takes out of it and what Carter gives. I think that he’s here for a special reason and it’s to open people’s hearts to love, and he’s done that time and time again in the last 9 years that we’ve had him.”

“The simple acts can touch so many lives.”

“We were blown away from the minute we pulled up at the school,” Osiowy commended. “The school had streamers, and Calgary Stampeders photos, and horses, and logos as you entered the school, the whole school was decorated. All of the kids were wearing red, all of the teachers were wearing red, so it was a really big deal.”

“They had organized a school assemble of 500, and in the midst of all this, was Carter, with his Calgary Stampeders Jersey on, and he was so excited.”

Thompson admits Carter’s battle with cancer was an extremely difficult one and is extremely proud that he’s come out on top.

“To sit there and see the pain that he was going through, some day’s you’re like ‘wasn’t the heart transplant enough? Like how much more can this kid put on his plate?’ But he is just a rock star, he just walked through it and came out on the other side.” 

(Check out this video of Monday’ special visit shared by the Calgary Stampeders)