Die-Hard St. Louis Blues Fan, 11, With Rare Illness Joins Team on Ice After Win

Laila Anderson, 11, who is battling HLH, was confident that her team was going to take home their first-ever title in Game 7 in Boston.

The No. 1 St. Louis Blues fan was front and center as her team was headed into Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night.

Laila Anderson, 11, who is battling hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or HLH, was confident that the team was going to take home their first-ever title in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.

And she was right. 

When they won 4-1, she celebrated with them on the ice, getting to touch and kiss the cup herself. 

"She is so special, everything about her," Colton Parayko, her favorite player, told reporters after the win.

"She is such a warrior. She perseveres through everything. She is going through such a battle. I was happy to be with her today for this moment. It was special to me."

Laila’s mom surprised her with the news she’d be attending Game 7 on Tuesday night and she burst into tears in a video the team shared on their Twitter page.

Laila has been cheering on the team all throughout the playoffs and even had the chance to interview Alexander Green before Game 3.

She first gained attention in 2018 when her family was looking for a bone marrow donor for her through an online campaign and the team caught wind of it.

The Blues hosted a “Be the Match” event in November, encouraging people to get on the bone marrow registry.  Since then, the team has taken her under their wings. 

"They have done so much for me that they don't know, and to know that I can repay them, that means so much to me," Laila told reporters after the game. "I couldn't thank them enough for helping me get through my fight."

RELATED STORIES