Ledecky and Sparky Surprise Families Ahead of the Playoffs

In a well-kept surprise, Dana Musso told her 12-year-old son Anthony that he was missing school to go to a dentist appointment on Friday afternoon, but instead of getting his teeth cleaned, he was greeted by his friends and family, Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky and Sparky the Dragon. 

“We want to share the joy of the playoffs with you,” Ledecky said. 

It was an emotional scene for Anthony and family, who recently endured lengthy hospital visits for months. Watching Islanders games on the hospital television, being dialed into the game while surrounded by visiting family members kept his mind off daunting medical procedures. 

Now that he’s back home with his family, his mother is seeing his spark come back - especially with a playoff game at UBS Arena to look forward to. 

“He’s been so strong and mature through it all,” Musso said. “Now that we’re home, he’s feeling the love from everybody in the community, from the Islanders. It’s awesome to see him get back to himself.”

The Musso house was one of the five special stops Ledecky made on Friday afternoon, visiting local families going through tough times, gifting them swag bags, game-used sticks, customized jerseys and invitations to an Islanders playoff game at UBS Arena. 

"It's a really touching day for the Islander family because we get to meet so many people who are going through so many difficult things,” Ledecky said. “It's taking a bit of their day and making it brighter."

Nothing can truly compensate for the loss of a loved one, but a surprise with playoff tickets and a special moment can lift the spirits of friends and family healing from a tremendous loss. Kevin Brohm unexpectedly lost his wife Lauren in the fall, and while times have been hard for the for the family, their nine-year-old daughter Ella and six-year-old son Ben were overjoyed at the sight of Sparky.

“This is unbelievable, seeing the smile on my kids' faces makes me so happy,” Brohm said. “It’s the one of the biggest joys, considering the tough year we had. Seeing them react to Sparky and the gifts, it’s wonderful.”

On top of mourning the loss of his wife, Brohm is also fighting a personal battle with cancer. In the two-and-a-half years he’s been in the fight with colon cancer, his family members and friends say he has always put on a brave face for his kids, assuring them that he’ll make it through.  

“My kids are what I live for, they are my strength,” Brohm said. 

The day was full of heartfelt surprises. Brendan Lauth was working remotely when suddenly surrounded by dozens of his family members and friends on his front porch. When he was presented with his customized jersey, he was shocked at both the sight of his new threads and the news he’ll be attending a playoff game.

“I’ll be wearing this to the game?!” Lauth said. “I can’t believe this!”

The 26-year-old finished cancer treatment at the end of last month. After he was diagnosed with leukemia last summer, he endured months of treatment but was able to finish his course early. It was poetic, Lauth said, the way the Islanders’ momentous push toward the playoffs and his personal journey lined up this year. 

“The team this season and all the adversity that they went through, it just helped me get through it,” Lauth said. “The Islanders overcame a lot and found and ended up finding a way to be in the playoffs, and a lot of that was really a driving factor in helping me get through it.”

Lauth is a lifelong Islanders fan and loves attending games with his father, Tom. The father-son duo enjoyed watching games together at home while Brendan was undergoing treatment. After watching his son finish cancer treatment ahead of schedule, Tom could not be prouder of his son’s resilience. 

“A few weeks ago, he rang the bell,” his father said with tears in his eyes. 

Similarly, 15-year-old Dan Grogan also finished his chemo treatments a few weeks ago and will also attend a playoff game. Ledecky was impressed by the strength and spirit of all the families he visited on Friday afternoon. 

"It's like they're scoring the ultimate goal when they recover diseases and other things that are going on in their lives, the loss of loved ones, the loss of parents at a young age," Ledecky said. "What's great is their spirit and the lack of self-pity. It's showing that they want to put the puck in the net, and that they're still here, fighting.”

The last stop of the day was especially important.  

Late NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller’s spirit was felt on Friday afternoon, as his wife Stephanie, one-year-old son Ryan, brothers and partners from the NYPD were visited by Ledecky for a surprise in reverence of Diller’s life and passion for the team.

“You’re members of the Islanders family,” Ledecky told them. 

Although they’re mourning a painful loss, Stephanie and their one-year-old son, Ryan, were in good spirits. Ryan giggled and clapped his hands in excitement at the sight of Sparky the Dragon and the blue and orange balloons - but most of all - the baby was fixated on the big blue bow atop a basket of playoff gear. 

“Ryan will never forget this,” Stephanie said, cradling her one-year-old son. “His daddy loved the Islanders.”

Stephanie always knew how much the Islanders meant to Jonathan - and the Islanders community came together and rallied for the Diller family on April 6, shattering a team record by raising $152,659 raised for the Islanders Children's Foundation in the team’s 50/50 Raffle. Proceeds benefitted the Diller family.

“When you own a team, you're owning a community treasure and a community asset that transcends everything else,” Ledecky said. “Everybody knows who the New York Islanders are, so when organization and the Islanders Children's Foundation is able to get behind something, we’re able to bring attention to needs and causes, and again, spread joy.”