Ten-year-old Weston Paszkiewicz has faced more in the past year than most kids his age, but his family says nothing slows him down.<\/p>\n
“He’s just a kid that’s curious, adventurous and nothing stops him,” Weston’s dad, John Paszkiewicz, said.<\/p>\n
That mindset has carried Weston through months of leukemia treatment.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think he even knows what failing is,” John said. “He kinda just keeps rollin’.”<\/p>\n
Since his diagnosis last January, Weston has spent much of his time in the hospital. But on Thursday, he had somewhere special to be.<\/p>\n
With police sirens leading the way and neighbors lining the streets to cheer him on, Weston received a hero’s sendoff from his hometown of Long Lake..<\/p>\n
“We would not be able to do this without our community,” John said, “it’s been incredible.”<\/p>\n
“It’s everything,” his aunt, Stephanie Mehrkens, said. “Family is everything, community is everything. Every single day since diagnosis, the outpouring of love has been truly amazing.”<\/p>\n
Weston and his family made the trip to Grand Casino Arena, where the Make-A-Wish Foundation helped make his dream come true, signing a one-day contract with the Minnesota Wild.<\/p>\n
“If I know anything about Weston, it’s how much he loves hockey,” said their family’s pastor, Adam Butler. “Any of us who have ever played hockey want to sign a contract with an NHL team, so that’s a pretty dang good day, I’d say.”<\/p>\n
After signing his contract, Weston got a behind-the-scenes look at the Wild’s locker room and joined the team for its morning skate.<\/p>\n
Before the puck drops Thursday night, Weston is set to carry the flag out to center ice before watching the game with his family in a suite.<\/p>\n
“We hope he has the energy for the whole day ’cause it’ll be a lot. It’s more than he’s done in a long time,” John said.<\/p>\n
But those who know him say Weston’s strength has never wavered.<\/p>\n
“That’s something we’ve seen through this entire process,” John said. “He just rolls with it and really never gives up.” \u00a0<\/p>\n
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