Marcus’s motto: “Life is a game. Hockey is serious.”

Whether he’s playing at a game, tournament, practice or hockey camp, Marcus spends most of his time on the ice. Now as a right winger for Team Ontario, he’s come a long way since he started playing sledge hockey as a child—just a few years after the day that changed his life forever. 

It started with a bad cough. The next day, his left leg stopped working. After a series of doctor visits, Marcus was finally diagnosed at three-years-old with an extremely rare condition called Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a serious and sudden onset of weakness in the limbs. 

For the next three months, Marcus stayed at Holland Bloorview as an inpatient with his mom, Laurie. Not knowing what to expect, they felt nervous. But as soon as they came through the doors, their anxiety melted away. It wasn’t long before they met the hospital’s infamous therapeutic clowns. Although Marcus was hesitant at first, he quickly warmed up to them and joined the chorus of giggles on the inpatient floor. The clowns were a mood lifter for families, Laurie said.

Arriving just in time for the hospital’s holiday festivities, Marcus was delighted when Santa gave him Hot Wheels cars from under the Christmas tree. He also got a cuddly teddy bear. On the bear’s shirt, Marcus and Laurie wrote: “My holiday wish is to walk again.” 

“Every time I see that little bear, it just reminds me of Holland Bloorview and what a special place it is,” Laurie says. “We still have that bear and he did learn to walk again.”

After Kindergarten class at Bloorview School Authority, Marcus worked hard towards his recovery goals. Through physiotherapy and occupational therapy, Marcus relearned how to walk using a knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) made by his orthotist. 

“The impact on our family has been immeasurable. Staying there for three months truly changed the way that I see the world,” Laurie said. 

After leaving the hospital, Marcus’s interest in sports bloomed. He learned how to ride a bike, rollerblade and skate with his sports brace made for him at Holland Bloorview. Joining recreational parasports opened up a world of possibilities for his future.

Although it’s been 11 years since Marcus’s stay, he still comes to Holland Bloorview whenever he breaks his sports brace—which is often, given how active he is. Today, his goal is to make Team Canada and play in the 2030 Paralympic games.