The eight-year-old Grade 3 student at Sacred Heart School was born with a right club foot.
His parents Deanna and Wakefield, natives of L’Anse au Clair who have called Corner Brook home for the past five years, wouldn’t entertain enrolling their son in minor hockey with a club right foot because they couldn’t afford to invest a fair chunk of change to get him started without a guarantee that their son would stick with it.
Bauer Hockey changed that back in October when the company introduced its First Shift program — a six-week minor hockey program that afforded first-time players a chance to try the game for a couple of hundred bucks with the price tag including being outfitted with Bauer gear from head to toe.
Howell managed to get in a couple of sessions where he battled through the pain, but he struggled so much that his mom wanted to find a way to make the experience better for him.
“He was trying to fight so much pain,” his mom said from Halifax while waiting to board the flight to Montreal Tuesday afternoon.
She decided to call Bauer to see if she could find a solution. She was thinking maybe they had an insole they could provide to ease the pain and make it more bearable.
She was blown away with the positive response.
The day after sending an email expressing her concerns, she got a call from a Bauer representative informing her that flights have been confirmed for mom and her son to fly up to Blaineville, Que. to have Nathan fitted for custom-made skates.
“Oh my gosh it was unbelievable. I thought it was one of those prank calls,” Deanna said of the news that has put a smile on both of their faces.
Nathan and his mom will be the guests of Bauer staff at its innovation facility in Blainesville Tuesday. He will be fitted for a new pair of Bauer skates, but he will have to wait for them to be sent to him Corner Brook because it’s going to take a bit of time to make them.
Nathan is pretty well overwhelmed with the events that have unfolded in such a short time. He just loves the fact he will be able to play the game with his friends and hopefully without any pain or discomfort. He appreciates Bauer doing this for him.
It’s no big deal for Bauer. The goal of the First Shift program is to introduce boys and girls to the game with hopes of them falling in love with the game for life.
Rob Wighton, assistant manager brand initiatives with Bauer Hockey, said it was a no-brainer to help Nathan after they understood the young fella’s passion for hockey from chatting with his mom.
“We want to help ensure that Nathan falls in love with hockey to the full spectrum of how he can,” Wighton said Monday afternoon while getting ready to pick up the Howells at the airport.
Being able to cater to those with disabilities or have different shapes of hands or feet is something Bauer will continue doing to keep players immersed in the game, according to Wighton.
“At Bauer Hockey we have a wonderful research and design facility that really prides itself on being able to create unique pieces for people who are in need of that,” he said.
The eight-year-old Grade 3 student at Sacred Heart School was born with a right club foot.
His parents Deanna and Wakefield, natives of L’Anse au Clair who have called Corner Brook home for the past five years, wouldn’t entertain enrolling their son in minor hockey with a club right foot because they couldn’t afford to invest a fair chunk of change to get him started without a guarantee that their son would stick with it.
Bauer Hockey changed that back in October when the company introduced its First Shift program — a six-week minor hockey program that afforded first-time players a chance to try the game for a couple of hundred bucks with the price tag including being outfitted with Bauer gear from head to toe.
Howell managed to get in a couple of sessions where he battled through the pain, but he struggled so much that his mom wanted to find a way to make the experience better for him.
“He was trying to fight so much pain,” his mom said from Halifax while waiting to board the flight to Montreal Tuesday afternoon.
She decided to call Bauer to see if she could find a solution. She was thinking maybe they had an insole they could provide to ease the pain and make it more bearable.
She was blown away with the positive response.
The day after sending an email expressing her concerns, she got a call from a Bauer representative informing her that flights have been confirmed for mom and her son to fly up to Blaineville, Que. to have Nathan fitted for custom-made skates.
“Oh my gosh it was unbelievable. I thought it was one of those prank calls,” Deanna said of the news that has put a smile on both of their faces.
Nathan and his mom will be the guests of Bauer staff at its innovation facility in Blainesville Tuesday. He will be fitted for a new pair of Bauer skates, but he will have to wait for them to be sent to him Corner Brook because it’s going to take a bit of time to make them.
Nathan is pretty well overwhelmed with the events that have unfolded in such a short time. He just loves the fact he will be able to play the game with his friends and hopefully without any pain or discomfort. He appreciates Bauer doing this for him.
It’s no big deal for Bauer. The goal of the First Shift program is to introduce boys and girls to the game with hopes of them falling in love with the game for life.
Rob Wighton, assistant manager brand initiatives with Bauer Hockey, said it was a no-brainer to help Nathan after they understood the young fella’s passion for hockey from chatting with his mom.
“We want to help ensure that Nathan falls in love with hockey to the full spectrum of how he can,” Wighton said Monday afternoon while getting ready to pick up the Howells at the airport.
Being able to cater to those with disabilities or have different shapes of hands or feet is something Bauer will continue doing to keep players immersed in the game, according to Wighton.
“At Bauer Hockey we have a wonderful research and design facility that really prides itself on being able to create unique pieces for people who are in need of that,” he said.
