Börje Salming traveled to the celebratory match and to pick up the important medicines. Based on the picture, the hockey legend moves in a wheelchair.
Börje Salming is a hockey legend. PDO
A hockey legend Börje Salming, 71, traveled with his family to Toronto. Based on the picture published on social media, Salming currently moves around in a wheelchair.
The picture has been published by, among others Aftonbladet. In the shot, the hockey legend poses with his family in front of the home arena of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Salming flew from Stockholm to Toronto as his career was celebrated in the city on Friday and Saturday. The wife is there Pia Salming and the couple’s daughters Teresa and Bianca.
– We plan as much as possible, but we know that in the end it’s all about how Börje is doing and what he can participate in. It’s all about him, the president of the Maple Leafs Brendan Shanahan comment For Expressen.
Salming was diagnosed with ALS in August. ALS is a rare and incurable motor neuron disease that degenerates and eventually destroys the motor nerves that run through the spinal cord. Along with the disease, the musculature also atrophies.
The first signs of the disease appeared in February. Since then, ALS has progressed rapidly. Salming lost his ability to speak in August, and currently communicates via an iPad.
Eating is also difficult. Salming has been fitted with a tube through which he receives most of his food.
Medicines available
Salming (second from left) cheering on her daughter Bianca in August in Munich. Anni Saarela
Salming participated in the home games of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday and Saturday. Saturday was dedicated only to honoring the Swedish hockey player’s career.
On Sunday, a match of legends will be played, where there will be, among others, on the field Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mats Sundin and Daniel Alfredsson.
The Sedins and Alfredsson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Monday. Salming entered the gallery of honor already in 1997.
Salming played over a thousand games in the NHL between 1973 and 1989 and scored a total of 787 power points (150+637). The legend’s status is indicated by the handsome statue and frozen jersey in front of the ice rink.
The defender was elected to the hockey Hall of Fame as the first Swede in history.
The purpose of the trip to Canada is also to receive the newly introduced ALS drug. The family tried to order the medicine in Sweden, but the medicine, called Albrioz, got stuck in customs, even though the doctor had written a prescription for it for the hockey legend.
The Salmings did not know that the mailing of medicines from outside the European Environment Agency (EEA) is prohibited.