Drazan's ribbon honors young friend with cancer

The questions and puzzled looks have diminished. Most hockey people know by now why Rachael Drazan, a junior defenseman for the Gophers women's hockey team, wears a yellow ribbon in her hair every game.

The ribbon hangs down with her pony tail below her helmet.

"The gold ribbon is for children's cancer in general," Drazan said.

But Drazan also has a specific child she is rooting for, Kira Erickson. "She is a family friend of ours, she is 3 years old and she has eye cancer," Drazan said. "I don't know how to pronounce it properly, so you can look that up online."

For the record, Kira has bilateral retinal blastoma.

"She had her right eye removed in January," Drazan said. "She has cancer in her left eye, but they are doing treatment. They are trying a new treatment. She goes to Philadelphia every four weeks."

Drazan, who is working on her masters in early childhood education, has a soft spot for kids. When she graduates, Drazan will be licensed to work with children from birth to third grade.

"I want to teach younger kids, maybe in like a center," she said.

Kira is really tough, Drazan said, somebody who inspires her.

"Her family is an amazing support system. they just have a good impact on my life," said Drazan, referring to Kira's parents, Kurt and Erica. "My grandparents are friends with her grandparents."

Kira has not really become a women's hockey fan yet. "She has so many more things to worry about," Drazan said. "But she has got one of my sticks that I signed for her and she has a little pink stick.

"And she loves Goldy [the Gophers' mascot] and she loves the zamboni so maybe there is a connection to hockey, who knows. We are hoping to maybe get her on skates. She roller-blades but we have not gotten her on the ice yet. Hopefully some day."

Drazan said she sometimes communicates with Kira through her website on Caring Bridge.

"I write her little messages, and Erika is able to read those to her because she obviously cannot read," Drazan said. "She is so strong that it makes me want to be stronger. She is so cute."

Drazan, who played on two high school state championship teams playing for Benilde-St. Margaret's, also is coaching. She is an assistant coach for the Wayzata under-10 girls' hockey team. Her father, Mike, is the team's head coach.