Nashville Predators forward shares emotional message after girlfriend's unfortunate stage 4 cancer diagnosis
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nashville Predators prospect Austin Roest is standing by girlfriend Milara Okabe after she revealed a stage 4 cancer diagnosis this week.
A rough week for one NHL prospect just got a lot more personal, and hockey fans are noticing.
Austin Roest, a sixth round pick of the Nashville Predators back in 2023, opened up this week about something far bigger than the sport that made him a name in the first place.
His longtime girlfriend, Milara Okabe, a former competitive figure skater, was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and Roest didn't hold anything back when he shared the news with his followers.
The 22 year old posted a photo from Okabe's hospital room, sitting beside her along with a close friend, and the caption underneath hit harder than anything he's ever put out.
He told her how proud he is of her strength, how certain he is that she'll beat this, and how he plans to be right there with her through every step of whatever comes next.
"Milly, I don't even know what to say. I am so sorry this is happening to you. No one deserves to go through this. That being said, I have no doubt in my mind you will beat cancer. You are the strongest person I know and I know you will overcome everything that comes your way over the next year. I love you so much and I will be right there with you through all of this."
- Austin Roest
- Austin Roest
A relationship built before the spotlight
The two have been together for more than three years, long before either of their lives were under this kind of public attention.
Okabe spent years as a high level skater and now teaches kids the sport she loves, and those close to her describe someone who puts everyone else first, even now.
Community rallying around Okabe
A GoFundMe has already been set up to help cover treatment, travel, and the mounting costs that come with a diagnosis like this, and it has already crossed $50,000 in support.
For Roest, still trying to carve out his own path toward the NHL, this moment is a reminder that life off the ice can shift in an instant, and that the people around you matter more than any draft slot ever could.
Fans have flooded the comments with encouragement for Okabe as she begins this fight, and the hockey community seems determined to make sure she doesn't face it alone.
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