Courtesy of Nick Mallard - Sentinel and Enterprise
FITCHBURG -- Hunter Specht wandered the atrium of Fitchburg State University's Wallace Civic Center with his hockey stick Friday afternoon, cracking jokes with players and showing off his skills during media day.
Amid the commotion of day's activities, Hunter seemed at ease, grinning as headshots for the FSU website were taken and as player intro clips were recorded, much like the players around him.
The only difference is that unlike the uniformed players around him, all in the ballpark of at least 20 years old, Specht is a 5-year-old sporting his best Falcons hockey shirt. Don't think he's not a crucial part of the team, though.
At age 3, Hunter was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy and would often suffer seizures, according to his mother, Sarah. Unable to keep up with friends his age, she feared Hunter would be relegated to a life of watching from the sidelines.
Through Team Impact -- which pairs kids with life-threatening illnesses with collegiate teams -- Hunter has teamed up with the Falcons. The Lunenburg native has made his mark with the group and is now an integral member of the hockey family.
"I called Team Impact because Hunter loves sports," Sarah said. "He's very into sports and was very athletic until the seizures started at 3. He wants to play, but he can't. I didn't want him to feel defeated and someone had told me about Team Impact, so I called and signed him up.
"Originally, I thought it was a waste of time because what college kid wants to hang out with a 5-year-old? I was so wrong."
The youngster is a fixture at practices and games, usually with his mother and service dog, Angel, who can detect when Hunter is in distress. According to members of the hockey team, he's always more than welcome there.
"We love having Hunter here. We love having them on board," senior forward Timmy Genova said. "It's something special. He's literally part of the family we have here and we're glad we're able to make an impact on him in such a way. He impacts us more than we do with him, I think."
Members of the team consistently check in on Hunter and have included him in activities of their own, including going to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game.
"Over the summer, if we happened to be on vacation near any of the players, I'd get a text and we'd end up hanging out with them," Sarah said. "These guys have been unbelievable."
According to Genova, no one looks at having Hunter around as a burden or an obligation, while senior captain Max Lorenzen says "he's 100 percent part of the team, no question." Since joining the team at the end of last season, Hunter has found a way to impress the players.
"Immediately, we accepted him because he's a great kid," Genova said. "We love Hunter and love having him around."
Fitchburg State has worked with Team Impact several times in the past, with ailing children spending time with multiple sports teams. It's the hockey team's second go-around with the organization, having working with a teen on dialysis in the past.
"This kind of thing puts everything in perspective, big time," Lorenzen said. "The things Hunter deals with every day are much bigger than what we do out there on the ice. He's a good kid and a lot of fun to have around."
Hunter's mother calls the pairing "beneficial to both sides," and she's seen just how much the team cares in the past few months
"If we miss a practice, they're right there asking how he's doing," she said. "They follow him on Facebook. If they see he's had a day with a lot of seizures, I get texts from everyone asking how he's doing.
"It's a great group of guys and Hunter loves being around them."
