P. K. Subban | Mila’s “best friend”

“I really like it when I see it! He really is my best friend! “says little Mila Goolab, 7, an hour and a half after accompanying PK Subban on the Bell Center ice rink.

The second period of the game against the Nashville Predators has just ended when The Press joins Mila, her parents and her brother in the space reserved for people with reduced mobility, in the middle of section 117. Before the start of the meeting, the young patient from the Montreal Children’s Hospital suffering from transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disease, accompanied the ex-Canadian defender on the ice for his tribute.

With a smile on her face, Mila shows us the Canadian hat that a fan grabbed for her, before timidly telling us about her day.

“We went downstairs to see the old…” she said hesitantly. “Former Canadian players,” adds his father, Kevin Goolab.

The family met Réjean Houle, Mathieu Dandenault, Carey Price, Geoff Molson and, of course, Subban.

“For a 7-year-old child, it’s impressive,” explains Mr. Goolab. […] When we left to go downstairs, that’s where we saw PK It kind of started it all. PK, he has a big heart. He has a charisma. He is able to get the smile just by his aura. »

The little girl was nervous before going to the ice rink in her wheelchair. In the stands, 21,000 people were eager to pay tribute to the man who was one of the most electrifying players in the Montreal franchise over the past decade.

” [P.K.] said to me: ‘There’s nothing there, I’m going to be there right next to you, you don’t need to talk on the ice,'” the girl says softly.

During his tribute, the ex-athlete asked fans to applaud his young friend, which they did happily, going there with powerful “Mila, Mila, Mila”. When asked how she lived the experience, Mila exclaims candidly: “It broke my ears! »

You guessed it, this wasn’t the first time Subban and Mila met. In 2017, in particular, the Torontonian had signed the doll in his image belonging to the young girl. Doll that she has since taken with her on all her visits to the hospital, to “have PK by her side and to give her courage”, says her mother Mélanie Joannette.

A welcome help

Mila was 17 months old when she fell ill. According to the doctors, his body fought a flu and, “when the flu was gone, his body was confused, overloaded”, explains Kevin Goolab. “He kept fighting and it turned against his spinal cord. »

Within hours, the inflammation paralyzed the child from neck to toe. “She wasn’t even able to breathe on her own anymore. Lucky we went straight to the hospital, because otherwise she could have died the same night. »

The parents both had to stop working in order to take care of their daughter, who is now learning to walk again thanks to rehabilitation sessions.

“At the time, we weren’t in great financial shape. Paying $30 for parking or food for a day was a lot. »

This is where PK Subban intervened through his foundation, which offers tickets to eat at the hospital, or to pay for parking. To this day, the Saint-Constant family contributes frequently to the Foundation. She also took part in a video called It Takes a Villagewhich aimed to raise donations.

One thing is certain, Mila and her family will not soon forget their January 12, 2023.

“Looks like it’s not real, suggests the father. It’s such a great experience. We have been going through very difficult times with our family in the last six years. An evening like this takes the pressure off. It removes the weight of what we live. It was an unforgettable experience. »

“We are so lucky to be part of Mr. Subban’s retirement, of his story,” he adds with a smile.