Brian Kilrea
Brian Kilrea
Coaching legend beats cancer
Brian Kilrea shares his triumph over the disease
Spend a few moments with Brian Kilrea and you will be struck by his humility, friendliness and respect for others. Brian's gentle manners belie his reputation as a fierce competitor, hockey player and coach.
When he was diagnosed with melanoma, Brian leaned on his wife, family, friends and doctors to fight the disease. Like many people, Brian discovered his cancer by accident. My wife Judy
was rubbing my back one day and told me that one area felt hot. She got up and turned a light on my back and noticed a scar, recounts Brian. My back had been hurting for a while; I just chalked it up to an old hockey injury. It was cancer. If it wasn't for Judy, I would never have known.
Brian was quickly introduced to Dr. Stanley Labow who removed the melanoma from Brian's back and many other spots, including one on his knee. I remember being at the Memorial Cup in 2005, when Scotty Bowman walks into the locker room. He noticed the scar on my knee and asked, "What happened there?" Next thing you know, the trainer walks in, there's me and Scotty Bowman comparing cancer treatment scars. You should have seen the look on his face! Scotty didn't think anything of it, his scar stretched down his entire side.
Thanks to regular check-ups, Brian's second brush with cancer was quickly diagnosed and treated by Ottawa's Dr. Harvey Finkelstein. "He is a super guy. I am thankful for all my doctors and especially Dr. Finkelstein for looking after me." says Brian.
Brian prefers to deflect the spotlight. By speaking about his cancer survival, he hopes to inspire others to support cancer research and be proactive in being checked.
"I was fortunate. If I can help in any way, I am happy to do so," he says. "Take the time to support the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Take the time to visit your doctor. Check it out, remove the doubt."
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