“It actually made him like a kid again,” Mike Scarry said of his son Ryan who was given the opportunity to do the ceremonial puck drop at Madison Square Garden during the Alumni Classic featuring former players from the New York Rangers and New York Islanders.
Ryan, a 12-year-old Massapequa Park native, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in August of 2024. It is a form of cancer that is found when bone marrow produces too many B-cell lymphoblasts, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Mike Scarry said his son dropping the puck was connected with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which helped Ryan get the unique opportunity.
Ryan was able to attend the Saturday, Jan. 11, game with his parents and two siblings. He met some of the players before the game and was brought onto the ice for the ceremonial puck drop with Alexei Yashin of the Islanders and Adam Graves of the Rangers in front of roughly 7,000 fans.
“It brought some normalcy back into his life, and it was fun to watch and actually hear the crowd cheering for him,” Mike Scarry said.
After the game, Ryan was brought to a suite, where he met Hall-of-Famer Henrik Lundqvist. Ryan received a signed jersey and could take pictures with the former Ranger star.
“Providing Ryan with the chance to stand on the ice at Madison Square Garden while dropping the puck and hearing the support coming from the fans around him is an experience we hope gives him strength as he continues treatment and his fight against cancer,” said Graves who is a Garden of Dreams Foundation board member. “The Garden of Dreams Foundation strives to make a positive impact on the lives of young people in need, whether that means aiding them financially, giving them the opportunity to meet their favorite player or planning a fun activity for them and their family.”
The alumni game helped raise money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation and Northwell Health Foundation. Prior to the game, the two organizations received a $200,000 check.
Ryan had spent over a month in the hospital when he was first admitted for his cancer diagnosis in August. He has gone through chemotherapy treatment and has been on multiple medications, according to his father. Mike said that his son has gone through ups and downs throughout the process.
Leukemia is a 30-month prognosis in children, meaning that Ryan is on track to be cancer-free in 2027. He is currently in remission.
