Hall helps cancer patient's wish come true

NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall called cancer patient Nahum Flores his "good luck charm" following a 4-3 comeback victory against the Carolina Hurricanes at Prudential Center on Tuesday.
For Nahum, 12, watching his favorite player get three assists while seated with family and friends, was a dream come true.

Nahum, who has right-sided weakness to his hand, foot and leg because of a brain tumor, has metastatic bone cancer.
In addition to rooting for his favorite team from his wheelchair, he got to high-five Devils players on their way to the ice for pregame warmups. He also received a Devils prize pack, an autographed Devils jersey, a personal visit from the Devils mascot and a Zamboni ride during the second intermission, then met Hall after the game.
"I feel great because we're all with him, cheering with him," said 12-year-old Allison Lazo, Nahum's cousin. "Being with him, especially because of the sickness he has, and to see him this happy ... I love to see that. He told me he was going to meet Taylor Hall, and we were all so excited."
Nahum is a patient at Barnabas Health Hospice, which organizes a program to honor special requests from patients to create meaningful moments for them and their families.
"It's awesome that we have an opportunity to make an impact," Hall said. "I think everyone's been affected by cancer at some point in their life. If you can put a smile on someone's face, that really puts life into perspective.

"The playoff races, wins and losses become pretty minimal in times like this, but it's nice to have a performance when he's here. He was a good luck charm for us."
Barnabas Hospice nurse Gloria Tavarez has cared for Nahum the past two months. She said he told her he wanted to study to be an engineer or an astronaut, but the family knew they couldn't help him meet those goals.
It wasn't long after that when Nahum thought of something else.
"One day he told his mother that he liked watching the Devils, and finally we had something," Tavarez said. "We asked Nahum if he wanted to go to a game with his friends and family and meet the players and his eyes lit up. He was smiling again ... and it breaks my heart because here I was trying to find something he really liked, and it was hockey all along."
Said Jeff Scott, Devils vice-president of community investment and grassroots: "I will remember the smiles, cheerfulness, and fearlessness on Nahum's face. [Tuesday] was a moment where he seemed to put his fears behind him and truly enjoy cheering on his favorite team.
"It's extremely special for our organization to do this because we truly understand the power of sports and entertainment, so when we're able to create memorable moments like this we'll try to do everything in our power to make it a best-in-class experience."