City partners with Make-A-Wish to build roller hockey rink for Kyle boy

Ash Crane's wish is for a hockey pavilion in Kyle, Texas

The wish of a young Kyle boy with heart trouble is getting closer to being a reality. Ash Crane, 10, who has a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, asked the Make-A-Wish Foundation to build a hockey pavilion. The City of Kyle is partnering with the nonprofit to make Ash’s wish come true.

Ash's wish is to have a public, concrete roller hockey rink “So he can share his love of hockey with everyone and create a space where kids of all ages can skate and enjoy the great sport together,” his mother Lisa said.

Fundraising efforts have been impressive, particularly from the local business community. Yet that gap between the wish and the true construction costs still exists. City leaders are hoping to raise the remaining $50,000 so they can build the Ash Pavilion at Gregg-Clarke Park within the next 6-12 months.

Back in Colorado, Ash used to skate on an ice hockey rink. Moving to Texas meant giving up that easy access to ice. But he still loves to play street hockey using in-line skates. The pavilion would allow residents to use roller blades / in-line skates to play hockey outdoors. It could also be used for other sports, including basketball.

According to his mother, Lisa Crane, Ash has been through more than 15 cardiac procedures, and multiple non-cardiac related surgeries.

“Through all of this, he has remained one of the happiest kids I have ever seen,” she said. “Ash’s hope is to share his love of hockey with the community with the development of a multi-use hockey pavilion in Kyle.”

Kathrin Brewer, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas, said, “There are few experiences more powerful than making a wish come true. Ash’s wish for a public hockey rink is one that so many kids in the community will be able to enjoy for years to come. We’re thrilled the City of Kyle is partnering with us to make Ash’s dream a reality, and we’re excited about the community being part of this experience. A wish is awe-inspiring, uplifting… and everlasting.”

The Railhouse and C&C Management, in partnership with Make-A-Wish, Give Back Auctions and KZSM Community Radio, held the Ash Bash — a benefit concert on October 13 — to help raise the addition funds.

Ash has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital heart defect that affects the normal blood flow through the heart. Before his birth, doctors were able to see that the left side of his heart had a gnarled mass of rough, unusable tissue. After doing research on their options to ensure the most positive outcome for Ash once he was born, his family decided to opt for a series of surgeries.

“Looking at Ash, you would never know that he has a heart defect,” said Lisa. “A doctor once explained that Ash’s heart is like a four-cylinder car engine, but instead of using all four cylinders, Ash’s heart only runs on two. His engines won’t have the power or stamina that others have, and it won’t last as long. Even though there are options to prevent total breakdown, we will never be able to fix it.”

While Ash’s parents knew he would have to endure multiple hospital stays and doctor appointments, they also knew something was different about Ash when his first word was “hockey.” Growing up in Colorado, Ash was surrounded by the sport. He learned how to roller skate at just 18-months old, and by the time he was two, he was practically sleeping in his skates. After his third open heart surgery at two-and-a-half years old, he asked his nurses if he could skate around the hospital instead of walk – that was the only way he would get up from his hospital bed.

As Ash grew older, he continued to have complications with his oxygen levels. This is when Ash’s family decided to make the move from Colorado to Texas so that the lower altitudes would stabilize Ash’s condition. The most difficult part of the move was having to leave behind all of the public roller hockey rinks – Ash’s favorite place to play hockey when he wasn’t in the hospital.

Although Ash has found friends to learn and play roller hockey in his driveway here in Kyle, he still misses being able to strap on his skates and head down the street to play on a real rink. The one thing he wishes for more than anything is to be able to play hockey again like he did in Colorado.

The City of Kyle is seeking additional community partners to contribute to Ash’s wish, which will help fund the major components of the public hockey rink including the concrete field, surface coating and paint, and fencing.

Donations will be made directly to the City of Kyle and can be mailed to 100 W. Center Street, Kyle, Texas 78640 ATTN: Ash Pavilion, or processed online using the link below. Contributors may contact the City of Kyle for acknowledgement letters of donation.

Here are several media stories about Ash and his wish:

City of Kyle partners with Make-w-Wish to build hockey rink for boy

KXAN News, November 1, 2018

Make-A-Wish grants Kyle boy's wish to build roller-hockey rink

Fox News Austin, November 1, 2018

Kyle makes resident’s wish come true

Hays Free Press, October 17, 2018

Kyle community hopes to make boys hockey rink wish come true

KVUE News, October 13, 2018

Texas boy with half a heart gets dream hockey rink

ABC 7 Eyewitness News, July 10, 2018

Make-a-Wish child from Kyle wishes for roller rink