Denna Laing surprises teammates with appearance at 'Denna Day' game
Denna Laing made her first public appearance Sunday since suffering a significant spinal cord injury in the Women's Winter Classic on Dec. 31. Laing joined her Boston Pride teammates on the ice before warm-ups for their game against the Connecticut Whale Sunday at Harvard's Bright Landry Center.
.@TheBostonPride win 4-2 over @CTWhale_NWHL on #DennaDay in front of 1900+. Not a bad Sunday afternoon. #NWHL pic.twitter.com/Tnv9nxz5G7
— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) February 14, 2016
#14Strong ? https://t.co/qsaGFSzOBH
— Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) February 14, 2016
The Pride used the game to help raise money for Laing's recovery efforts and to show support for the 24-year-old as she fights to regain as much mobility and function as possible after her injury left her with limited movement in her arms and no movement or sensation below the chest.
Laing has quickly become an inspiration to many thanks to her positive attitude in the face of overwhelming adversity. Her updates on her condition on Facebook and on Twitter are always upbeat, and she showed a similar attitude in a brief statement to the press Sunday.
Via WCVB Boston:
“I think to myself when I get down a little bit, it could be worse," Laing said. "You can't really control what happens to you. But you can control how you react to it."
The hockey community has rallied behind Laing since her injury, and over a thousand supporters attended Sunday's game despite below-zero temperatures in Boston to help support Laing. The game featured multiple fundraising initiatives but also allowed fans to send more positivity Laing's way, as volunteers hosted a #Cards4Denna station as well.
Make #Cards4Denna, buy bracelets, raffle tickets and chuck a puck! All proceeds go to the Denna Laing Fund pic.twitter.com/HtKTj2MHyq
— Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) February 14, 2016
Everyone is #14Strong today #DennaDay pic.twitter.com/Xu9bPFLiWl
— Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) February 14, 2016
Anyone interested can continue to support Laing by donating to her medical fund here. For more updates on Laing, follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
