Phone pressed against Plexiglas, a short message written in white on a black background. Brian “Red” HamiltonThe 47-year-old is sitting on a bench inspecting the helmets and uniforms of Vancouver Canucks, the franchise of the American professional ice hockey league Nhl. At that moment, he notices that there is a girl behind the chairs trying to get his attention. She is a fan of the opposing team Seattle Crack. Her name is Nadia Popovici, she is 22 years old and at that moment she changes Hamilton’s life..

So what is “red” – the nickname for red hair – is ignored at first. How many times has he seen opposing fans trying to harass his boys. But she insisted, clapping her hands against the glass. She convinces him to go see her to find out what she wants. He reads a text message on the phone: “The scar on your neck may be a tumor. Please see a doctor! “. Hamilton nods and shows her thumb.

Shortly after the game (October 23) he went to the doctor. He found out that Nadia was right and that she had a malignant melanoma on the back of her neck, A skin cancer. Having been diagnosed earlier, this allowed Hamilton to have surgery to remove the mole. So save yourself. This Saturday, before a new match against octopuses in Seattle, he wrote a letter and shared on social media: “My name is Brian” Red “Hammithlon and I are looking for a special person – read it – and I need your help. To this woman I am looking for, you are my life. Changed, now I want to find you Thank you.

# Hockey Twitter, We need your help!

Please RT to help us spread the word and connect with the woman Red considers her hero. pic.twitter.com/HlZybgOnjf

– Vancouver #Connex (Connex) January 1, 2022

Request that someone help to find Nadia. “The message you showed on your phone will stay in my head forever, It changed my family and my life. You’re right, your instinct is right, the scar on my neck was a deadly melanoma, and now, thanks to the help of doctors, it’s gone. You could have noticed it in the mess of a hockey game. You are my heroine.

In a short time, social networks worked magically: Nadia’s mother reads: “She’s my daughter! . ” So on Saturday Nadia and “Red” met again. Masks trying to hide a smile, a spontaneous hug, a chat (Later immortalized in a video shared by Kanax). “He extended my life, he saved me – Hamilton’s words after the game – the doctor said that the mole would kill me in four or five years if I did not pay attention in time.

The internet community helped us find Brian’s hero Nadia, and they met in person tonight, where he was able to express his heartfelt gratitude to her for saving his life.

The best story of human empathy. pic.twitter.com/66ogo5hB1a

– Vancouver #Connex (Connex) January 2, 2022

Nadia graduated from the Universities of Washington, Vancouver and Seattle and received a $ 10,000 scholarship. For a medical school. “I saw her mole, well, this is a perfect example of what melanoma can look like,” she said.

Before the match, the audience applauded her, and after Vancouver’s victory “Red” wanted to take a selfie together: “The biggest hit tonight”.