Phoenix Cup Charity Classic

On March 28th, almost exactly 1 month after welcoming his little brother into the world, Kyler was seen at UTMB Clear Lake Emergency Room for what was believed to be severe constipation. Radiographs, ultrasound, and CT scans revealed a massive abdominal tumor connected to his bladder. Within the 3 weeks, Kyler had 3 surgeries: a biopsy to diagnose the tumor, a major abdominal surgery to remove the tumor along with 20-30% of his bladder, and the placement of his port for chemo treatments. Altogether, Kyler spent roughly 2 weeks in the ICU at UTMB Clear Lake and Galveston hospitals, and the tumor represented ~9% of his body weight. Fortunately, the surgery was successful in removing the whole tumor, but Kyler's cancer was still diagnosed at the intermediate risk level which requires 9 months of weekly chemotherapy. Kyler attends weekly chemo treatments every Friday at Texas Children's Hospital, which will hopefully conclude in February 2026.

He lives with his 4 month old brother, Carter, and his parents Kevin (a local Houston hockey player) and Courtney. Kyler's extended family members are located in Illinois and Missouri. He loves Monster Trucks, Hot Wheels, Sonic and of course... pizza, Cheeto's and M&M's. We are excited to support and rally behind Kyler and this Houston hockey family, and we know you are too!

“Kai started limping after a small fall and started having slight knee pain. Over the course of a few weeks, the pain and swelling grew more and more until he was unable to walk. On January 25th, our biggest fears became a reality and Kai was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a cancer that often starts in the adrenal glands and can spread throughout the body. His cancer spread from his adrenal gland to lymph nodes, multiple bones, pelvis, and femur bone where he had a very large bone tumor making it a high risk cancer.

Kai loves all things Ninja Turtles and can’t decide if his favorite is Michelangelo or Rafael. He is the definition of strength. There is just no other way to put it. We have watched him be beaten down again and again and it seems that he is able to get right back up ready for the next hit (sounds like Rafael). He has taught us so much throughout our journey. He has such a big personality and loves to make people smile, even when he down (Sounds like Michelangelo). He knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to say it. He loves to help and contribute in some way and he has a generous heart. He loves being with his family and absolutely adores his big brother, Sammy…his best friend.”

2024 marks the 4th year for the Phoenix Cup and we are honored to have Kai and his family be in the spotlight. We are excited to see how our hockey brothers and sisters, and our community members come together to raise money for this family and continue to showcase the fight against cancer… just like Kai!

We would love for your to follow us on social media and check out our website!

https://www.phoenixcupcharity.org/

https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixCupCharity/

https://www.instagram.com/phoenix_cup_charity/