It’s been a pretty great week for 11-year-old Laila Anderson.
After getting the surprising news that her doctor allowed her to attend Game 3 of the Western Conference Final between her beloved St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks, she was in attendance Tuesday night as the team clinched a spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
Laila has been battling a rare disease called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocystosis (HLH), which, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, affects the immune system and causes certain white blood cells to attack other blood cells and enlarges organs such as the spleen and liver. Since January, she had only been at home or at the hospital before her mom informed her she would be attending Game 3.
After the Blues eliminated the Sharks Tuesday night, Laila was one of the stars of the postgame celebration. She spent time with some of the players, which included Patrick Maroon telling her how much she inspires them.
Awesome moment: Pat Maroon meets with 11-year-old Laila Anderson after the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
— Andrew Kauffman (@A_Kauff) May 22, 2019
"You are our hero." pic.twitter.com/ZijEbXpYtc
Laila even got to interview her good buddy Alex Steen, hitting the forward with some good questions.
“It’s very special to do this in this town,” said Steen “To have you here was a little extra special for that.”
The Blues are playing in their first Cup Final since 1970 and are seeking their first win in the Cup Final after getting swept in their three other appearances. Steen told Anderson she might be the difference against the Boston Bruins.
“We’ve got you, our lucky charm there,” he said.
MORE: Stanley Cup Final: Blues vs. Bruins full schedule, TV info
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.