Shocking News:We lost our son, best friend, hockey star way too soon,’ says Georgina teen’s mom… See more details

Shocking News:We lost our son, best friend, hockey star way too soon,’ says Georgina teen’s mom… See more detail.

‘We lost our son, best friend, hockey star way too soon,’ says Georgina teen’s mom
Blood clots ended Nolan’s father’s hockey career.

Nolan Ion died March 18 following a cardiac arrest and a pulmonary embolism, two days before his 16th birthday.

“He had a huge impact on us all and this will never sit well with us that we lost our son, best friend, hockey star way too soon,” Nolan’s mother, Korina Welch, said in a text response to questions.

Nolan was “a happy-go-lucky kid. He loved everybody and everybody loved him,” his father, James Ion, said.

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Nolan played for the Upper York Admirals U16A hockey team.

Early in life, he was also “a soccer phenom” who could outrun all the kids, James said.

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Nolan’s friends considered him a professional “Fortnite” player — so good that they wanted to watch him play, James said.

Nolan was in a Grade 10 gym class at Keswick High School March 17 when he collapsed.

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Nolan’s gym teacher told James students had been warming up by doing wall squats when it occurred.

Nolan was rushed to Newmarket’s Southlake Regional Health Centre and then transferred to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children for emergency surgery, where he later died.

In mid-November, Nolan had been examined at Southlake after complaining of trouble breathing. He was given antibiotics and was later admitted to Southlake for three days.

He was diagnosed with pneumonia and a punctured lung and had to stop playing hockey for six weeks, from mid-November to Jan. 6.

His breathing problems were mostly noticeable when he was playing hockey, James said.

“He didn’t have extra lung capacity.”

Fast forward to March 14. Nolan was complaining of back pain, so his mother took him to Southlake.

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His chest was X-rayed and a doctor told them his pneumonia and lung puncture had healed. The teenager was discharged.

He came home and told his dad: “I’m fine.”

But over the weekend, Nolan experienced more pain.

On March 17 at 10:31 a.m., James received a text from his son.

“I don’t want to go to (hockey) practice tonight,” Nolan wrote. “My back is hurting.”

At 11:08 a.m., James received a call from a family friend telling him Nolan had collapsed and an ambulance was taking him to Southlake.

James was on his way to work, so he turned around and headed to Southlake, arriving there before the ambulance, he said.

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When James was 18, blood clots ended his hockey career.

The valves in his leg were damaged and he had to go on blood thinners.

He was hospitalized for a month.

James suffered a second blood clot at age 26.

In 2017, James went off of the blood thinner medication and ended up having a pulmonary embolism — just as his son later would.

Then, about 13 years ago, James told a Southlake hematologist he was worried his son would suffer the same health problems.

James is not sure whether Nolan’s health issues were related to his own health problems, but he believes doctors do not take blood clots in youths seriously enough.

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“They think kids are so resilient,” said James, 40. “They don’t suspect clots in kids.”

Korina said her teenager would advocate for thoroughness in the health field.

“Nolan would also want us all to take care of ourselves and make sure we fight and push more for tests and more compassion for children/young adults … go that extra mile,” Korina said.

She emphasized how important it is to look beyond the obvious.

“Don’t just jot the notes and don’t go further because you think it’s too much, too far-fetched, too costly. This should never be a question in a child’s health or future.”

James said he was told by SickKids that Southlake will do an internal investigation.

Southlake released the following statement:

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“The loss of any young life is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to Nolan’s parents and the entire Ion family. While we cannot comment on specifics due to privacy concerns, patient care remains our top priority at Southlake. Southlake’s patient relations department is in the process of engaging with the Ion family as part of our review processes.”

Coach Leo Baker began coaching Nolan as a goalie when he was five.

Nolan most recently played left or right wing and enjoyed a certain pre-game ritual, Baker said.

Nolan would bring a Tim Hortons drink to every game and practice and Baker would have a Diet Pepsi.

Baker would often tell Nolan: “Hey do you know how bad that is?”

Nolan would look back at him and say: “Those 12 Diet Pepsis you had aren’t any better!”

Susan Birch taught Nolan at Georgina’s Jersey Public School.

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“Throughout the years, I was privileged to watch Nolan excel at pretty much everything he tried,” she said via text. “Nolan’s spirit shone brilliantly. To say that he will be missed is an inadequate understatement.”

Nolan cared deeply for others and for animals, Korina said.

“He is one of the toughest, but softest humans. I’m honoured to say he is my son.”

To finish off her text, Nolan’s mother quoted from the Robert Munsch book “Love You Forever”:

I’ll love you forever,

I’ll like you for always,

As long as I’m living,

My baby you’ll be.