vancouver canucks Archives - Canucks Autism Network

May 26, 2020

I first got involved with Canucks Autism Network (CAN) as a participant in July 2018. My nana really wanted me to go out and do something, so she took a look at CAN programs. We found one of the monthly social outings, and it happened to be at Castle Fun Park in Abbotsford, right next to home.

Since then, Brayden has participated, volunteered and worked with CAN. Watch his speech at the Canucks Dice & Ice Gala this past February!

That year, I heard about the inaugural CAN Pro-Am, a hockey tournament to raise funds for the programs I participated in. Rec and corporate teams got to pick an NHL Alumni to play on their team for one weekend.

Being a big Canucks fan since 2011, of course I wanted to play. But at the time, I wasn’t old enough and I was playing my last midget hockey tournament in Lumby, a small town near Vernon, that same weekend.

When the 2020 tournament was announced, I was just old enough to sign up. Each team had to raise a minimum of $20,000 to participate – or approximately $1,000-$1,500 per player.

My nana registered me and told me that I had to raise the money myself – and I did.

There were 19 rec and corporate teams signed up for the 2020 CAN Pro-Am, presented by Hudson Pacific Properties. CAN helped organize a team comprised of CAN parents, staff, volunteers and supporters, called the Healthy Scratches. Brayden joined this team for the 2020 tourney.

Instead of asking for money for Christmas, I asked my relatives to make a pledge to my fundraising campaign. They helped a lot, and I am grateful for their support.

My nana and I also attended a Lions meeting in December. We made an oral presentation and were surprised at the generosity of the people at the meeting; I doubled my fundraising total in just one night.

Sometimes I even took bottles and cans to the recycling depot to add more to my total.

Lastly, I was also volunteering with the new CAN Hockey program in Coquitlam. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my volunteer hours gave me a fundraising bonus too!

After months of fundraising, Brayden absolutely smashed his fundraising goal of $1,500, bringing in $2,250.

As a team, the Healthy Scratches raised an incredible $43,369. Ranking 6^th among the 19 teams, they earned the right to play a pre-tournament exhibition game at the home of the Vancouver Canucks.

The tournament experience started on my birthday, January 22. Who would ever imagine playing in Rogers Arena on their 19th birthday? It was a funny game for me. I was wearing gloves that were too big for me, but I still managed to get two assists in that game. I felt like I got some of my old groove back.

Two days later, the official tournament weekend began with Draft Night, sponsored by Odlum Brown Limited. Teams selected NHL Alumni in the order of their fundraising rankings. Brayden and the Healthy Scratches owned the 6^th overall pick.

It is difficult to describe my pure enjoyment at Draft Night in a single emotion. My team came up with a vote for drafting. We eliminated Todd Bertuzzi and the Sedins as possibilities, because we knew they would be the first three drafted. We narrowed it down to two players: Canucks Alumni Brad May and Mason Raymond.

After Bertuzzi and the Sedins were chosen, Brendan Morrison and May went 4^th and 5^th. So our decision was made for us. We welcomed former Canucks winger Mason Raymond onto our team. Based on how the tournament eventually went, I believe that we may have come out with the best pick in the draft.

The next morning, it was time to drop the puck! The 2-day tournament took place at UBC Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Each team gets two games on Saturday and one game on Sunday.

The whole tournament was one big highlight. On day one, Raymond kept setting me up, but I just could not score. Although we lost both of our Saturday games, we were all having fun, and that is what mattered most. We got a laugh out of Kyle Wellwood’s cherry-picking against us. And taking a faceoff against Geoff Courtnall was something I never thought would happen.

When we weren’t playing, I hung out with a few members of the team in the player’s lounge overlooking the main rink. We watched the Sedins face off against each, and it was a blast. They went one-on-one at the start of each period. I felt bad for the goalies!

We had our last game the next day. It was something else. While we were getting ready, we made a few trades with our opponents from First Brew – a team of first responders and microbrewery staff from Port Moody. Taylor Pyatt ended up joining Mason Raymond as a second NHL Alumni on our team.

The second period was where the game really took off. I never thought in my life that I would score a goal assisted by both Raymond and Pyatt, but the CAN Pro-Am makes scenarios like this possible. I do not miss wide open nets often.

After scoring another goal, Brayden had the opportunity to score a hat trick goal on a penalty shot!

Any penalty in this tournament results in a penalty shot. And during the third period, a call was made. I went wide-right and put it five-hole. Everyone cheered.

After the game, I was asked by CAN for an interview and to my surprise, both Brad May and Henrik Sedin walked up to congratulate me. When Brad May says you scored the goal of the tournament – well, I just could not stop smiling all day.

But the fun was not over yet.

One of the highlights of the tournament is the All-Star Game. The top 22 fundraisers get to compete in the showcase match alongside 12 NHL Alumni.

Before the game, one of our top fundraisers told us he couldn’t play anymore. He wanted to give his spot to a deserving player. Naturally, we offered it to Brayden!

I had to race to the All-Star teams’ dressing room. I was surprised when Canucks coaches Travis Green and Nolan Baumgartner came in to give us a speech.

One of the kids on the CAN youth hockey team in Coquitlam, Michael, also came in to thank us for our fundraising. He dropped the ceremonial puck for the game, which was very nice to see. If you are reading this, Michael, I hope you enjoyed the game, buddy!

There were a lot of great moments in this game. I had a very short board battle with Henrik Sedin, which I knew I would lose. But it was still great. Watching former Canucks goalie Corey Hirsch take a penalty shot was awesome as well; no one expects a goalie to pull off a one-handed shot!

I happened to score another goal during the game. This one resonated with me more than any of my previous goals, because my team was down by two. We still lost 4-3, but plenty of memories were already made.

I have been to the U.S. for a Peewee tournament. I have played against teams from Alberta. And I have been on a tournament-winning Bantam team. But this was easily one of the best weekends of my life.

I want to say thank you to everyone who made this tournament so amazing: the NHL Alumni, my teammates, and especially the volunteers and staff. Without these people working so hard and taking the time out of their days, it would not have been so amazing.

I can’t wait to be back next year.

– Brayden Bradbury

Apr 6, 2018

A condensed version of this story was featured in the Vancouver Canucks game-day program for their April 3, 2018 celebration of Autism Awareness Day. This story first appeared in AAJ Magazine‘s January 2018 issue, as well.

***

Like countless BC teens, seventeen-year-old Kourosh Ershad grew up a huge Vancouver Canucks fan.

“I remember Kourosh watching the Canucks in 2011,” recalled Kourosh’s dad, Farzad. “He was mesmerized. Since then, he wanted to be involved with sports in any way possible.”

Two young boys wearing hockey jerseys, one of which has his face painted, sit in the stands at Rogers Arena during a hockey game. Since then, Kourosh dreamed of playing hockey. But as a child with autism, Kourosh faced a number of challenges to participate in sports and rec in the same way as his typically-developing peers. While there is significant variability among those who share the diagnosis, the core difficulty with individuals with autism is social communication.

“Kourosh is high-functioning, but as a boy who started talking at 7 years old, comprehension and communication were always a huge challenge for him,” Farzad explained.

Because of these difficulties, children with autism often benefit from coaches and teachers taking the time to break down and repeat their instruction.

Enrolling Kourosh in a typical sports program meant throwing him into a fast-paced environment that he was likely unprepared for. In order to enjoy the thrill of sports he was fascinated with, it was clear he needed close attention and individualized support.

It was not until the Ershads found Canucks Autism Network (CAN) that they began to see a path for Kourosh to achieve his dream. Since 2008, CAN has successfully delivered a wide range of sports and recreation programs to children and families with autism across BC.

The non-profit organization was founded ten years ago by Paolo and Clara Aquilini, co-owners of the Vancouver Canucks. Like Farzad, their son was diagnosed with autism and they identified a void in the community for high quality sports programs that met the unique needs of children with autism.

At CAN, Kourosh benefited from one-to-one support from highly trained staff and dedicated volunteers in weekly soccer and ice skating programs. “It was so important that Kourosh was never alone,” Farzad explained. “He always had a CAN instructor by his side, receiving the close attention and constant communication that he needed.”

As his skills progressed in the skating program, it was time to put a hockey stick in his hands. In October 2015, Kourosh joined the Vancouver Orcas, one of CAN’s two adapted hockey teams. Through CAN, Kourosh could realize his dream of playing hockey.

Kourosh not only learned the basics of passing, stickhandling and shooting, he was taught the nuances of interacting with his peers and teamwork — social skills that are invaluable for children and youth with autism.

Three male youth hockey players pose for a photo while sitting on a bench together.

Kourosh thrived. Week after week for two years, his confidence grew.

Ryan Yao, CAN’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships, coordinated the hockey program during Kourosh’s time with the Orcas. “He was such a positive presence in the locker room – always laughing,” recalls Ryan. “He became a leader and someone that his teammates truly looked up to.”

In April 2017, Kourosh travelled with the Orcas to Penticton for CAN’s annual hockey tournament. Playing against other adapted teams from across BC, Kourosh scored two goals in one of the tournament games and was named MVP.

Following the tournament, Kourosh challenged his parents to make a pivotal decision. With years of experience in CAN programs at his back, he was ready to compete alongside typical peers in the North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association (NVMHA).

This past September, Kourosh signed up for his local bantam team. To his family’s surprise, the new team was led by a coach that had previously worked with CAN. Kourosh’s new coach was able to work with the Ershads to ensure a smooth transition from CAN’s adapted setting to the relatively less-supported environment of a minor hockey team.

Two photos of a male youth hockey player on the ice (left) and off the ice holding a medal.

When Kourosh first joined CAN, he needed constant supervision to participate. Equipped with the social and athletic confidence gained through CAN programs, he has successfully transitioned to a typical sports environment in his community.

At the conclusion of his first season with North Vancouver Minor, he recorded 3 goals and 21 assists. Of those 24 points, he registered 5 points in the playoffs, where his team finished second.

Kourosh is living his dream and showing no signs of slowing down.

A teen male poses for a photo in an arena concourse holding a game-day magazine. — Kourosh and the Vancouver Canucks game-day program featuring this story.

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Mar 6, 2018

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, it is incredible to reflect on the families that have been with us since our earliest years. The Schjelderups first joined CAN in 2009 and have continued to access programs and events since.

This past weekend, Tracy was invited to share her family’s story at the Canucks for Kids Fund’s annual Dice & Ice Gala. Tracy delivered the following speech about her daughter Jordan to a standing ovation from the many guests in attendance, including Vancouver Canucks management, coaches and players.

***

My name is Tracy and together with my husband, Tom, we have a family of four. Our son, Dylan, is 13 years old. Our daughter, Jordan, is 15 and she has autism.

Jordan was four years old when she received her diagnosis. But our journey with autism began a couple of years before that.

I vividly remember the sequence of events that led us to understand Jordan has autism. I was hanging out with a group of friends and all of our kids were playing together.

At the time, Jordan was two. And while all the other kids were babbling and talking to each other, forging these friendships, Jordan still appeared to be in her own world. She would be either playing with Dora or Elmo – not really engaging with the other kids at all.

For those of you that don’t know, autism is diagnosed primarily based on deficits with social interaction and communication. But at the time, we had never seen it or had any experience with autism.

I told my friends, “I don’t understand what’s going on – this is really weird.” I ended up being referred to a speech therapist who confirmed it for us.

“I think your daughter has autism.”

We received the official diagnosis from a doctor two years later. At the time, I didn’t tell anybody.

I remember feeling numb. And overwhelmed. When you receive that diagnosis, you get a ton of papers and a list of people to contact. But still, it feels like you have a million questions and no information.

As a parent, you look forward to the day your child drives a car, goes to college, marries and has a family. It felt like those hopes and dreams died for us when we received that diagnosis.

Every parent keeps track and remembers all the cute little things that their kids do in their early years. But for us, receiving that diagnosis was all-consuming. Every single thing that she did – every cute thing, every challenging thing – became autism.

Shortly after Jordan was diagnosed, we took a family trip to Norway. We boarded the plane and she immediately wanted to get off. Jordan rocks back and forth and can get quite loud, so we came prepared with little pieces of paper to hand out, letting everyone on the plane know that she has autism and wasn’t misbehaving.

Still, we would have people shake their heads and say, “No, she’s just spoiled” and then walk away.

The entire plane ride was chaos. When we hit the ground, we just wanted to collapse. It felt like we would never do normal things in the same way typical families get to.

Then, when Jordan was five, we found Canucks Autism Network. I can’t even remember how we first heard about them – that’s how long they have been in our lives.

We were lucky to be a part of one of their very first programs back in 2009 – a weekly soccer program in Surrey.

Autism was still relatively new to us and we had no idea what to expect. We had no idea what she capable of behaviour-wise – whether she could follow along and listen to instructions. We, of course, had reservations.

But for nearly 10 years now, our experience with CAN has been nothing short of incredible. The staff and the volunteers meet her on her level. They know how to cater to Jordan’s unique needs. Whether it was 1:1 or 2:1 instruction, she receives all the support that she needs to participate on her own terms.

A teen girl runs in between parallel rows of adults joining hands to make a human tunnel. Jordan has grown up with CAN – she’s done soccer, skating, swimming and biking, among others.

Throughout the year, CAN also hosts Family Events where we can go out and enjoy valuable time together. Whether it’s being able to go to a movie matinee in Surrey or get lost at the corn maze in Chilliwack, it has been such a normalizing experience to get to do these kinds of typical activities.

And beyond that, we have had the opportunity to meet other families that are going through the same thing. In our earlier years with Jordan’s diagnosis, we got to meet families with teens and young adults with autism who were thriving. That meant the world to us. It was because of CAN that we realized that we were not alone and that there was hope.

There are two instances in particular that stand out when I think of what Canucks Autism Network has meant to our family.

When Jordan turned 11, she went from being completely non-violent to having sporadic episodes of severe aggression. They came seemingly at random and there was no way of knowing when to expect them. A switch would go off and she would just attack you.

Because autism is five times more prevalent in boys than girls, there is much less that is known about girls with autism. At the time, our doctors didn’t know that the aggression was hormonal. We struggled with not knowing what to do for a year and a half.

During one of these episodes, we were at a CAN program. Jordan started attacking me and I just didn’t know what to do. When your daughter is hitting you, it’s an out of body experience.

I will always remember one of the staff members helping me. He made sure she calmed down. He helped me to my car. He went above and beyond to ensure that both me and Jordan were safe.

I was so scared and to have Canucks Autism Network staff help me at such an overwhelming time was so comforting.

It was symbolic of the kind of support that they have provided to us since the start.

The second memory with CAN that I want to share with you is from one of their Overnight Camps in Chilliwack.

For three days and two nights, we were joined by about a dozen other families. CAN set us up in a cabin, fed us, and organized games and activities for a full weekend. There were campfires and sing-a-longs — all things that I never imagined we would have the opportunity to do as a family with autism. I have to say that it was the most amazing experience of our lives.

By then, Jordan had been involved in CAN programs for years. And although it was a completely new experience for her, it was so clear how at ease she felt with the staff and volunteers. She just went with the flow. And Jordan doesn’t normally go with the flow.

One of the activities was a zipline. Jordan’s not really big on heights or having her feet off the ground. She went up to the platform and we thought for sure she was going to turn around and go back down.

Left photo: A family poses for a photo while wearing helmets and harnesses for ziplining. Right photo: A teenage girl holds on while ziplining in the forest.

But the way all the staff and volunteers talked to her up there – it was as if everyone was specifically trained for Jordan on that platform.

They just knew exactly what to say to her. They didn’t use too many words. They didn’t feed into her fear at all. It was just, “This is what we’re doing.”

No inkling of doubt in their voice.

So she got strapped into that thing and she just went. And she actually went a couple of times!

Tom and I were absolutely shocked.

But what really means the most to me about CAN is that even if she didn’t get up on the platform that day, that would be okay too.

At CAN, we don’t have to worry about being judged or reprimanded for her behaviour. I know that if Jordan isn’t comfortable with an activity or if she acts out – it’s okay. She is understood.

CAN provides a uniquely safe environment for her to test her limits. When it comes to Jordan’s recreational time – when she gets to be a kid out in the community – she only does Canucks Autism Network.

And for me and Tom, we can feel relaxed. All of our lives, it’s fight or flight all the time. So even just to have a half hour at swim or a full weekend at camp knowing that your kid is safe and happy – that no one is going to say something like, “she bumped into me” or “why is she doing this?” – it is so valuable and so appreciated.

I think you can get really hung up on trying to fix autism. For Jordan, I imagine what it would be like for people see you and to constantly just see autism.

But at CAN, Jordan gets to just be Jordan.

This isn’t to say that it’s not hard anymore. It’s hard every day. You see typical kids that are the same age and you want what they have for your daughter.

At Canucks Autism Network, we get to have those experiences. At CAN, Jordan is embraced for who she is. She sees all the familiar faces in the pool and it puts her at ease. It’s part of her routine as an active teenager. And what child doesn’t want that? What parent doesn’t want that?

A family of four dressed in novelty pirate costumes poses for a photo.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve met so many other families living with autism through these programs. And as comforting as it has been to connect with countless families going through the same struggles with their children — it also speaks to the need for support.

Today, autism affects over 11,000 children and youth in BC alone. It is the fastest growing and most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in Canada.

There are countless struggles. And countless unknowns. But since Jordan was five, Canucks Autism Network has been there for us in ways that no other organization has. They have given me, Jordan and my entire family so much.

With your support, we can create the same positive change and the same life-changing experiences that every child should have. We can do that for families living with autism by supporting Canucks Autism Network and the Canucks for Kids Fund.

And for that, I thank you.

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