9-year-old helps put a smile on the face of an 8-year-old with cancer

Birthday gesture brings big smiles Nine-year old Myla decides to donate her hair, to help a friend battling cancer, CTV’s Joanne Schnurr reports.

This Family Day weekend has been a special one for a young Almonte boy and his good friend who helped create an experience that 8-year-old Aiden will never forget.

It's a story that starts at a hair salon and ends at a Senators game with the biggest smile on a little boy's face.

It doesn't get any better than this.  Bench seats during the Senators warm up.  A bit of banter with the players, even a hockey stick from one of them.

The sheer joy etched on the face of 8-year-old Aiden Verk, which ultimately was the goal of his good friend Myla Fransky.

For her 9th birthday this year, Myla decided she didn't want presents.

She wanted to help her friend Aiden, who's in the biggest battle of his life.  Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, the cancer is back again.

“We've been through so much,” says Stephanie Verk, Aiden’s mother, “and having to start chemo all over again; creating these memories is what we're focusing on right now.”

So, enter Myla with the first part of her plan: to donate her hair for cancer to help Aiden who had lost all his.  Then, with her birthday money, take him to a Sens game.

“I’m strong and healthy, I have all of that,” says Myla, as she sits in a salon chair Kurly’s in Arnprior.  Owner Kayla Collins is pleating her long, wavy brown hair and ready to cut a good eight to ten inches off.

“I wanted to do this to make him happy,” says Myla, “and I wanted to see a smile on his face.”

The Senators' organization got wind of the plan and it took off, with a tour through the inner hallways of the Canadian Tire Centre, meeting the coaches.

Head Coach Guy Boucher shakes Aiden’s hand and says, “We’re going to give you the best show possible, here, okay?”

A few of the players come up to meet both Aiden and Myla, including Myla’s favorite, Bobby Ryan.

Then, they are offered box seats for the game and a front row seat for the warm up.

“I was surprised,” says Aiden, back at his Almonte home today, “I got three hockey pucks, a hockey stick and a jersey.”

As for Myla, she got that smile she was hoping for.

“It is pretty incredible for one small wish for 9-year-old’s birthday,” says Sally Fransky, Myla’s mother, “to put a smile on someone's face and it has turned into such an amazing thing.”

It is a simple birthday gift from the birthday girl.

“It is just so innocent and giving,” says an emotional Stephenie Verk, “It's truly amazing.”

Aiden has a long road ahead of him.  But he's a strong little guy.  He had to learn how to walk and talk again after that first tumor was removed.

One thing is for sure: he's not making that journey alone.