10-year-old battling cancer drops puck for Charlotte Checkers game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Charlotte Checkers held their annual ‘Stick It To Cancer’ game on Sunday and they had a very special guest who is sticking it to cancer herself at just 10 years old.

Her name is Olivia Reardon, and when she was just 9, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her sinuses. That hasn’t stopped her from smiling and attacking every day with an infectious sense of positivity.

The Checkers brought her out to practice last week to meet the team, and Sunday night she served as the team’s ambassador and did the ceremonial puck drop before the game.

Her family started the Olivia Strong Foundation to raise money for Novant Health and St. Jude childhood cancer patients, and their goal is to help as many other kids as possible through positivity and inspiration.

“If I stay happy and just think positive, I’ll get through this a lot easier. I know that it helps other people too, to stay positive,” Olivia Reardon said.

“Well, it makes me proud to know she can do stuff like this and get away from the hospital and get away from clinic, and have fun apart from chemo and doing her radiation,” Kevin Reardon, Olivia’s father, said. “We’re on the downside of this now and we just want to help as many people as possible.”

The Checkers went on to win for Olivia in a shootout, 3-2 over the Hershey Bears.

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