Halifax Mooseheads' anthem singer battling brain cancer: ‘I drew this card'
A well-known Halifax musician says he's remaining upbeat despite a sudden cancer diagnosis.
Peter Baylis has been the Halifax Mooseheads' anthem singer for more than a decade, and he's now hoping the community he's uplifted for years will help him in his new fight.
'Another door of your mind opens up when someone tells you, 'you have cancer,'' he said of his shocking diagnosis.
Baylis, who is best known for his passionate renditions of the Canadian national anthem at Mooseheads' games, was diagnosed last month with a glioblastoma, an aggressive form or brain cancer.
'We are guaranteed nothing on this planet. Nothing at all,' he said.
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'If you look at it that way, metaphorically, and that deck of card is your life. I drew this card — you know, there it is.'
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He says he's not letting this new obstacle take away his love for life.
'I will open my mind with a positive mindset that I'm going to grab this and I'm going to run through it with all my strength that I possibly can,' he said.
A GoFundMe has been launched to support Baylis and his family, as he will be unable to work while undergoing chemotherapy.
The team's president, Brian Urquhart, says Baylis is an integral part of the Halifax Mooseheads family and has brought a patriotic flair to the Scotiabank Centre for QMJHL games.
'Peter is a well-known anthem singer in junior hockey circles which is a little, it was not the norm, to be honest,' said Urquhart.
'It's something that he should be very proud of and we're certainly proud of to have him as part of our family.'
Baylis hopes to help others dealing with glioblastoma as he goes through his treatment process, and also dreams of returning to a stage sooner rather than later.
'Because I feel very, very at home and at ease in that particular moment because I'm so darn proud of what I'm doing,' he said.
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