Fairbanks Ice Dogs hockey player has surgery to remove mass from brain
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - On October 16, Jill Ciolli made a public post on Facebook letting people know that her son Luke, a Fairbanks Ice Dogs hockey player, was going to need surgery to remove a mass from his brain.
According to his mother, Luke was suffering from headaches and vomiting, and after a CT scan was performed, doctors discovered a mass by the cerebellum. On October 19, Ciolli had surgery to remove the tumor, as he takes his first steps to recovery.
“I think having the support and everybody showing the output of love and prayer and financial help for us and the food trains and the flowers and everything its just given everybody something to rally around in this time where everything is so uncertain.” said Jill Ciolli on the support they have received from the hockey community.
It will be a long process for Luke according to his mother as he makes his way back to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The cerebellum will need a couple of days to recover from having pressure applied to it from the mass.
“First and foremost just thoughts and prayers for his health through the surgery and with his family. He’s obviously got through surgery now and starting the recovery stage which will be process in itself,” said Fairbanks Ice Dogs General Manager Rob Proffitt. “He’s got some imaging and stuff that needs to be done but one step at a time and he got through the first step, arguably the most dangerous step, and we couldn’t be happier when we got the texts from his parents.”
A meal train has been set up by Sherry Van Buren to help the Ciollis.
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