{"id":9945,"date":"2015-03-10T14:43:51","date_gmt":"2015-03-10T19:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=9945"},"modified":"2015-03-10T14:43:51","modified_gmt":"2015-03-10T19:43:51","slug":"wolves-wish-program-makes-a-difference-for-needy-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wolves-wish-program-makes-a-difference-for-needy-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolves Wish program makes a difference for needy families"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sara Romano<\/p>\n

Two months removed from surgery and recently out of a body cast, then-4-year-old Jack still walked with a noticeable limp, but was thrilled just to be sitting on the Chicago Wolves\u2019 bench watching warm-ups one year ago.<\/p>\n

Born with hip dysplasia, a congenital misalignment of the hip joint, the curly-haired, blue-eyed boy dreamed of one day playing hockey for the Wolves.<\/p>\n

In February 2014, Jack Kabela took part in the Wolves Wish program<\/a>, which was established to provide special experiences for families facing adversity. Jack\u2019s \u201cwish day\u201d involved joining the team for warm-ups, tossing t-shirts into the crowd with the mascot Skates and hanging out with the players for a private autograph session after the game.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Shortly after the big day, doctors cleared him to begin taking skating lessons. Later that spring, Jack put on skates for the first time.<\/p>\n

On Feb. 28, almost one year to the day after his Wolves Wish, Jack reached an important milestone when he participated in the post-game skating session following the Wolves game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be a goalie,\u201d Jack said between shooting Batman missiles, tinkering with Legos and showing off his Wolves memorabilia.<\/p>\n

As he tentatively stepped out onto the ice at the Allstate Arena for his first solo go-around, his mother Gwen Nelson watched nervously.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo go from being a little boy who couldn\u2019t even jump because he didn\u2019t have the muscular strength to lift his body up to being out on the ice, it\u2019s huge,\u201d Nelson said, reflecting on how far her son has come.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A year after watching the Wolves’ practice from the bench, Jack Kabela laced up skates of his own to participate in the post-game skate after the game on Feb. 28. (Chicago Wolves\/Ross Dettman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most memorable aspect of the festivities? Learning how to \u201cspit like a hockey player,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor months afterwards\u2026thank goodness it was warm outside,\u201d Nelson said with a laugh, \u201cbecause he was practicing spitting like a hockey player outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facing a third surgery this summer in which his pelvis will be broken and repositioned, Jack still has a long way to go in his slow and methodical journey toward his dream of playing hockey. But the Wolves Wish experience marked a turning point for both mother and son.<\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s obstacles<\/a> began even before his birth. He was born at just 27 weeks alongside his twin brother, who lived only 23 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s our guardian angel,\u201d Jack said without hesitating. \u201cWe are very lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelson echoed her son\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost six years\u2026he\u2019s been through a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s done spectacular from where he could be. We\u2019ll take the hip issue and work with it and fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a toddler, Jack used to cry watching the peewee teams play between periods at the Wolves games because he wanted to be out on the ice so badly, Nelson recalled.<\/p>\n

Shortly before his second surgery in November 2013, she came across the Wolves Wish program and nominated her son as a recipient. A response came almost immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis experience was a little unique,\u201d said Courtney Mahoney, the Wolves\u2019 senior vice president of operations. \u201cNot a lot of people get to [go out on the ice.] But that was something that Gwen had mentioned when she first did the request, so we were happy to do whatever we could for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s such a charmer, so kind of whatever Jack wanted, Jack got.\u201d<\/p>\n