By Melanie D. Scott
The Detroit Free Press
FRASER, Mich. — Rosa McKay pulled her blanket around her shoulders and sipped a cup of hot chocolate as she waited to see a hockey game at Great Lakes Sports City Ice Skating in Fraser.
“I’m not really cheering anybody on,” said McKay, 63, who lives in Clinton Township. “I’m just here to support the little girl. I heard about her, and I wanted to do something.”
McKay was referring to 12-year-old Ashlee Drouillard, who was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer that occurs in the tendons or the cavities that separate the bones of certain joints and typically occurs in children and young adults.
Admission was $5 per person to watch the hockey match between members of the Roseville Fire Department and Macomb County Sheriff’s deputies March 22.
All proceeds from the match will benefit Ashlee and her family, who live in Roseville. Ashlee was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma in June 2007.
“I’m shocked by this,” said Ashlee, who attended the fund-raiser with her dad, Tim; mom, Naomi, and 15-year-old sister Emily. “I’m really thankful, too.”
Earlier this month, she had surgery on her right shoulder, where doctors found a tumor. Ashlee is being seen by an oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
Ashlee is being homeschooled this year. She is a student at Roseville Junior High School, but is too weak to attend classes because of her treatment. Her right arm is in a sling now, and it can’t be bumped or hit.
Help from an old friend
Macomb County Sheriff’s Lt. Robert Taylor has known the Drouillard family for years.
“My son went to school with Ashlee’s older sister,” said Taylor, who lives in Roseville.
“When I heard about Ashlee’s diagnosis, I thought, this is murder. It was terrible and very traumatizing.”
During the day, Taylor works for the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in Mt. Clemens, but he also is known as Councilman Taylor, a member of the Roseville City Council. Taylor is active in Roseville’s Optimist Club as well.
“After talking about Ashlee with the Optimist Club, I decided to go to work and see if we could play a charity hockey game,” Taylor said.
“Everyone thought it was a great idea, so we put this together.”
In a little less than two months, Taylor managed to enlist some of his coworkers as well as members of the Roseville Fire Department to engage in a friendly hockey game for Ashlee.
In addition to the game, the event featured a raffle and a silent auction, with items from the Detroit Red Wings and other sports teams available for bidding.
“We had a lot of donations and community involvement,” Taylor said.
“We just wanted to help Ashlee’s family. Her parents haven’t been able to work as much as they did and that causes financial problems.”
Her parents have missed work hours and lost pay because Ashlee needs so many doctors’ appointments.
Before the hockey game, a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser was served in Ashlee’s honor.
“This is unbelievable because the support from everyone has been incredible,” said Naomi Drouillard, Ashlee’s mother. “It has been tough. It has been a struggle, but people have been really kind.”
Always reaching out
Before the game began, Ashlee and her family slowly walked onto the ice for a chance to meet Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, who coached his office’s hockey team.
“It is not unusual for people in the department to get involved in community events like this,” Hackel said.
“I am always encouraging my people to do things like this, and they are always reaching out.”
After the game got underway, the Macomb County Sheriff’s team, the Enforcers scored early in the first period for the first goal.
The Roseville Fire Department team, The Dogs, tied the game and then took the lead for good in the middle of the second period.
The game, which included a few minor scuffles, was played before a crowd of more than 250 people.
The Dogs won the game, 7-3, and the game raised more than $5,000 for Ashlee and her family.
“We may have lost the score,” said Taylor, who played with the Macomb County Sheriff’s team.
“But we are all winners at this game.”