Rodion Amirov's agent reveals how bad things had gotten for the 21-year-old over the last 6 months
The loss of 21-year-old Rodion Amirov was sudden and shocked the hockey world. He had been entrenched in a nearly 2-year battle with brain cancer and while comments from his coach in the KHL earlier this year had made it seem like he was doing well and might even return at some point this season, an interview with Amirov's agent, Dan Milstein, earlier this week told a very different story.
Milstein revealed this week that no matter how bad things got for Amirov, he took it all in stride and maintained a positive attitude - even after losing his ability to walk and going blind.
"The worsening of the disease happened in October 2022. At that time, doctors in Toronto gave Rodion only six months. It was a fourth-degree cancer - a brain tumor.
He returned to Russia, where doctors in Skolkovo fought for his life for another 10 months. But two weeks ago, they were powerless. Then they came to the decision to take Rodion to Germany, where there was a last, ghostly chance for treatment. And now he was gone...
But the boy fought on. For a year and a half, since February 2022, no matter how bad it was for him, when he could not walk and lost his sight, he never complained about anything.
He came to Toronto in October, not just to get treatment, but to train. He really wanted to get back into hockey. As I remember, I got a call from Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas along with Canadian doctors at 1:18 a.m.: 'Come get the boy, accompany him to his home country. If you don't get him now, he may never come home again.' It got very serious.....
We drove from the airport to my place in Miami to pack. We spent two days at the beach so the guy could unwind. I asked him, 'Rodion, how are you?' - 'I'm fine, more worried about my parents.'
He only thought of others. He didn't whine, he fought. And he tried to face each day with a positive attitude, with a smile. Although he lost his eyesight about six months ago and couldn't walk." - Milstein on Amirov's worsening state
He returned to Russia, where doctors in Skolkovo fought for his life for another 10 months. But two weeks ago, they were powerless. Then they came to the decision to take Rodion to Germany, where there was a last, ghostly chance for treatment. And now he was gone...
But the boy fought on. For a year and a half, since February 2022, no matter how bad it was for him, when he could not walk and lost his sight, he never complained about anything.
He came to Toronto in October, not just to get treatment, but to train. He really wanted to get back into hockey. As I remember, I got a call from Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas along with Canadian doctors at 1:18 a.m.: 'Come get the boy, accompany him to his home country. If you don't get him now, he may never come home again.' It got very serious.....
We drove from the airport to my place in Miami to pack. We spent two days at the beach so the guy could unwind. I asked him, 'Rodion, how are you?' - 'I'm fine, more worried about my parents.'
He only thought of others. He didn't whine, he fought. And he tried to face each day with a positive attitude, with a smile. Although he lost his eyesight about six months ago and couldn't walk." - Milstein on Amirov's worsening state
I can't even begin to imagine what this must have been like for Amirov and his family, knowing from the beginning that there was little-to-no hope, only for the him to continue to fight a losing battle all the way to the end - with a smile on his face, no less. What Amirov and his family were forced to endure for the last year and a half is unfathomable.
Now that his suffering is over, all we can really do is offer our thoughts, prayers and condolences and remember Amirov for the person that he was. The words "F*ck Cancer" can't be said enough.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 16 | 143 ANSWERS Rodion Amirov's agent reveals how bad things had gotten for the 21-year-old over the last 6 months Are you leaving a stick outside your door for Rodion Amirov this week? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 35.7 % |
| No | 58 | 40.6 % |
| Not yet, but I will | 34 | 23.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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