A DAY OF MOURNING FOR THE STORM ORGANIZATION
Former Tri-City Storm forward Jaden Schwartz’s sister passes away
Sunday, April 3, 2011
- For Immediate Release
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| Mandi (right) and Jaden (left) Schwartz posing for a photo after the 2010 World Junior Championships |
KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm organization is grieving today, as Mandi Schwartz lost her 28-month battle to leukemia Sunday morning in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. The 23-year old sister of former Storm forward – Jaden Schwartz was a hockey player for the Yale Bulldogs women’s team.
“We are deeply saddened regarding the loss of Mandi, and send our thoughts and prayers with the entire Schwartz family,” said Storm owner Kirk Brooks upon hearing the news Sunday.
“Mandi’s fight was an inspirational one, and has inspired many people to respond through this tragedy. She was always selfless through the process thinking about other people before herself. Words can’t describe this time and we wish Rick, Carol, Rylan, Jaden, and the entire Schwartz family and friends the necessary time in their grieving process.”
Days after helping the Bulldogs women’s team to a 4-1 win over Brown University, Mandi was diagnosed with the cancer in December 2008 that caused her to need a successful bone marrow transplant to survive.
She received the transplant in Seattle, Washington last September, but the cancer resurfaced during testing in late-December. Mandi elected to finish treatments back home in Wilcox, where she continued the battle for another three months.
She started playing hockey when she was 6-years old, and was captain of the women's team at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, before attending Yale University.
The Schwartz children (Mandi, Rylan, 21, Jaden, 18) played hockey together growing up in Saskatchewan, and all three of them attended Notre Dame before each playing NCAA division I hockey following their junior careers.
Mandi is survived by her fiancé Kaylem Prefontaine, father Rick, mother Carol, and brothers Rylan and Jaden.