Woman Battling Cancer Hopes To Wave Bruins Flag Before Stanley Cup Game
STOUGHTON (CBS) - Shannon McCarthy of Stoughton is in the fight of her life. First breast cancer, and now a mass in her pancreas requiring major surgery. But she also just might be the biggest Bruins fan around. How big? She's convinced her doctor at MGH to delay the surgery until after the Stanley Cup Final!
"I met with my surgeon who was not happy with me but I explained to him it cannot be until the Stanley Cup was over," McCarthy said. "I was like, I can't. It's the playoffs, then the Cup, then the parade, and then I'll be in."
But that's only part of the story. Shannon's friends and family are taking to Facebook, leading the charge to persuade the Bruins to give her the special honor of waving the flag before one of the upcoming home games.
What would that mean to her?
"It would be the one thing that I needed just to be like yes! Yes!" she said. "Everything! Everything!"
Right now Shannon is drawing strength from the Bruins Cup run. But it's a two way street. She's hoping her struggle and fighting spirit can be an inspiration for the team.
Her daughter Hannah Carpenter says waving the flag would be the perfect way to do it. "That would mean the world," Hannah said. "She's probably the most deserving person, she might be the craziest Bruins fan I've ever met but I think she could really fire that team up."
And if the going gets tough on the ice, Shannon says the Bruins can always look to her for motivation.
"It's the same thing. It's next man up, it's fight. You fight, fight, fight!"
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final will take place Monday night in Boston.
