Today’s practice for the San Jose Sharks was certainly one to remember. 5 year old cancer survivor Luke Schuman joined the Sharks on the ice and had a morning full of fun and great memories.
“A few days after his fifth birthday, Luke was diagnosed with a rare form of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin). His parents discovered a lump under his armpit on May 14, 2024 (Luke’s birthday is May 15). Luke underwent surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy throughout the summer. He completed his chemotherapy treatment in September 2024 and is currently cancer-free. Luke receives routine CT scans and blood work to monitor that the cancer has not returned.”
We got the opportunity to talk to Luke’s father, John, and he tells us about Luke’s love for Mack.
“Funny story: one of my co-workers actually is a former Hobie Baker award winner, and so last summer, he got Luke, when he was going through his cancer, a signed puck from Mack when he was given the Hobie Baker. So from there, that’s kind of when it started for Luke. You know, here’s this Macklin Celebrini Kid, and he’s a young guy, so that’s kind of where it started.”
He continued to touch on Luke’s journey
“He went through all his cancer treatments and chemo all throughout last summer, and we got great news this past fall; he was cancer-free. Make a Wish provides these cool opportunities for kids. And I had bought him a pair of Sharks socks when he first started to play hockey, and he fell in love with the Sharks and wanted to meet the Sharks and Macklin.”
Luke is not the only one in the family who plays hockey; in fact, both of his siblings joined in the fun today.
“We actually have a rink in our backyard yard” John tells us.
After practice, Mack and Luke joined the media for a press conference, and they told us all about their day.
“When I got bar down” Is what Luke says his favorite moment from the morning was. Macklin also shares that he taught Luke some Cellies, and Luke tells us “The horse one” was his favorite. Which is where you ride the stick.
Macklin then tells us about what this day means to him and how he felt going into it:
“Super excited. I was just excited to get to know him and the opportunity to get on the ice with them and spend some time with them to have some fun.”
“I mean, I can tell he loves hockey, and obviously a big Sharks fan. So, it’s awesome we were able to do this.”
The day was one to remember for the Schumann family and it could not be done without the Make a Wish foundation and the San Jose Sharks. It was inspiring and beautiful to see the sweetness behind our beloved Sharks players and staff. The Schumann family will join us for the game against Seattle tomorrow.
