Fraser Valley's American Hockey League team recently reached out a sympathetic arm to help lift the spirits of an ailing Langley teen.

Wyatt Hicks has spent the past few days at Abbotsford Regional Hospital after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

The 14-year-old will be insulin-dependant.

The AHL's Abbotsford Heat, led by team president Ryan Walter, learned about Wyatt's situation and gifted him with tickets to an upcoming game, along with Heat memorabilia.

Wyatt was taken to the hospital directly from the Heat's home game versus Houston last Friday, Feb. 17 at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre.

Thirty seconds before the opening faceoff, Wyatt's dad Barry received a phone call from his wife Sharon, Wyatt's mom.

Sharon told Barry that Wyatt had had a blood test earlier in the day, as he was suffering from continued thirst.

"The results were in, where the blood sugar level was through the roof," Barry related. "There was a great concern for Wyatt's health at that time, and I was directed to attend Abbotsford Emergency immediately."

Barry asked his son how he was feeling.

Wyatt said he was fine, but that didn't mesh with the diagnosis from the doctor, who believed Wyatt was noticeably unhealthy.

"At that point, I was under the impression that someone must have made a big mistake," Barry related.

Wyatt, who has been playing ice hockey since he was four and helped his spring team, the Spartans, capture top spot at a tournament in Anaheim, Calif., is "extremely fit," according to his dad.

Wyatt works out every week, does core training and skate treadmill, and never complains about hard work. On his own, he elevated the core work (stomach exercises) provided to him, and is in the top one or two in the weekly running tests at his school.

Regardless, Barry took his son to Abbotsford Regional, where the family's health concerns were confirmed.

Barry lauded the hospital's emergency and pediatric staff for their work.

"In a time when everyone seems to be complaining about the medical system, Wyatt and I run into a group of medical staff that were absolutely amazing," Barry said. "They were patient, sympathetic, took the time to explain all procedures, and went out of their way to make you feel comfortable in an otherwise trying set of circumstances. The care was everything I could have imagined."

The Heat deserves equal recognition, Barry said.

While at the hospital, Barry wrote to Walter, asking if the Heat would provide another set of tickets for Wyatt once he is released from hospital, because he missed the Feb. 17 contest.

Barry promptly received a phone call from O.J. Pries, the Heat's account manager for ticket sales.

Pries confirmed they would make arrangements to have Wyatt attend another game once he's released from hospital care and is feeling up to it.

Walter went a step further by emailing Barry later in the day, to check up on Wyatt.

"We received an email from Wyatt's dad, so we followed up, and felt really bad about what happened," Walter said. "We just felt we wanted to stay in touch, and we reached out a little bit."

Walter hopes to meet Wyatt at the future game, to see how he is doing.

As Barry was responding to Walter's email, Pries walked into Wyatt's hospital room, wearing a Heat hockey jacket.

Pries carried Heat memorabilia with him, to cheer Wyatt up.

Within the Heat bag of goodies was a motivational hockey book authored by Walter, personally autographed to Wyatt with a special message.

"I was absolutely blown away by the compassion demonstrated by Ryan, his staff, and the Abbotsford Heat hockey team," Barry said. "What a class organization and a group of folks that reach out to and support the communities that support them."

Walter noted, "I give O.J. a lot of credit. He snuck up to the hospital and took some things for us. We're just feeling bad for Wyatt and his family."

Walter, father to five including three sons - 27-year-old Ben (a Heat forward who leads the team in assists with 24 and is second among Abbotsford scorers with 33 points), Joe, and Ryan Jr. - can relate to the stress Barry and Sharon are dealing with.

"We've had lots of injuries in our minor hockey experience with our children," Walter said. "It's funny: as a parent you sort of run the gamut of tough things that happen."

The scenario, as it played out, makes Barry emotional. He can't tell this story to friends and family without having to pause once or twice to compose himself.

"I had always heard through the hockey community what a kind, thoughtful family man Ryan Walter is," Barry said. "This story is probably just another example of the impact Ryan has had on the people that he has touched along the way."

Walter said the Heat strives to treat each fan who attends games as one of the team's own.

"Our goal with our crew and employees is to really focus on people in our building as family," Walter said. "How would you treat your family?"

As for Wyatt's health, Walter remarked, "We don't want to bug him, for sure, but we want to make sure he's okay."

Barry said Abbotsford Regional Hospital, Walter, Pries, and the Heat organization has helped Wyatt through a "challenging set of circumstances that will impact on him for the rest of his life."

tlandreville@langleyadvance.com