ROANOKE, Va. – After being sidelined for months, Makayla Russell was back on the ice Thursday, but this time, on her own rink.
“It’s great. It’s nice to see her happy. Watching them putting it together, jumping up and down in the window. It’s exciting to see her excited,” said Makayla’s mom Tanya.
Thanks to the generous donations of local businesses and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the nine-year-old’s dream became a reality: her own synthetic ice rink.
“They can take a break from all the stuff they’ve been going through, just forget about it, and have fun. I think that’s why it matters to us,” said Ashlee Lowe, a Wish Granter with Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia.
Makayla was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2022. A lot has changed since we first met Makayla, who playing in the street at the time. Since then, even when she was too sick to play, her love of hockey never wavered.
“She’s got a heart of gold. She loves the sport. She did miss it when she was off, but she’s actually starting to play again, playing with the Lady Dawgs,” said Makayla’s dad, Gary.
Through countless treatments and doctor visits, Makayla has endured a lot. She still has more chemotherapy in the coming weeks.
“So far she’s got four more treatments left,” Tanya said. “She’ll have an off week next week and then go back for three more. They’re still doing the scans, so they’re just taking it week by week.”
While there’s a long road ahead, for now, Makayla is putting any health worries on ice.