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Flyers Notes: Flyers help teen who is fighting cancer

The Flyers Wives charity group, in conjunction with the support group Michael's Way, is brightening the lives of Jose Toledo and his family during the holiday season.

The Flyers' Zac Rinaldo and Vinny Lecavalier share a light moment with Jose Toledo, a 17 year-old from Northeast Philadelphia who is battling brain cancer. (Photo by Sam Carchidi)
The Flyers' Zac Rinaldo and Vinny Lecavalier share a light moment with Jose Toledo, a 17 year-old from Northeast Philadelphia who is battling brain cancer. (Photo by Sam Carchidi)Read more

The Flyers Wives charity group, in conjunction with the support group Michael's Way, is brightening the lives of Jose Toledo and his family during the holiday season.

Toledo, 17, an 11th grader at Community Academy of Philadelphia, is battling brain cancer, and he soon will undergo trial therapy at a Maryland hospital.

Chris McElwee, founder of Michael's Way, announced Monday that the Toledos were selected to have a "mini-makeover" of their Northeast Philadelphia home. The teen's bedroom and the family's kitchen will be redone.

"They could use a lift like this," McElwee said.

Fort Washington-based Michael's Way supports families of children with cancer.

On Monday, Toledo, sitting in a wheelchair, and his family watched the Flyers practice at the Wells Fargo Center. Afterward, Flyers forwards Vinny Lecavalier and Zac Rinaldo met with the youngster.

"He's actually not a sports fan at all," said a smiling Belinda Toledo, Jose's mother, "but now he's a Flyers fan."

Lecavalier improving

Lecavalier said his back spasms are subsiding.

"They are definitely not like they were that first week. I had trouble bending over and anything like that," he said.

Lecavalier, 33, is expected to miss about two or three more weeks because of a non-displaced fracture in his lower back.

For the first time since his injury was diagnosed, Lecavalier skated in Voorhees on Sunday but "couldn't do anything full-stride. . . . It was just nice to get out there and kind of get a feel for the puck," he said. "We're used to playing every day, and all of a sudden you stop for a few weeks and you want to get that feel. So hopefully, if it reacts well, I can go back out [Tuesday] and continue to get the feel, maybe do bigger strides and try to get stronger right away."