Randy Cosens
Interview By: Dave Goetze
(How did you get involved
with the Red Wings Alumni?) Mickey Redmond and I began hanging
around in 1985, and we really hit it off. One day they asked
me, we need a goalie tonight, can you play? I hadn't put my goalie
equipment on in 5 years, but I didn't tell them that, so of course
I said, "sure I can
play."
On thing led to another, and I started skating with them on a regular
basis. Back in those days, I was pretty decent. In fact, before
training camp for the current Red Wings team, I was also asked
to play with them. I worked out with guys like Adam Oates, Rick
Zombo, Shawn Burr, Mickey Redmond. By the time the Alumni season
rolled around in early October, I had already played for 3 months
with the current Red Wings, so when I had to play with the Wings
Alumni I was in "game shape" which surprised a lot of
the guys.
In fact, I played in over
300 Red Wings Alumni games from 1985 - 2003 until I hurt my back.
I thought it was a bulged disc problem, but later I found out
it was cancer which also triggered me to have diabetes as well.
The type of cancer I have is called, paragangloma, along with
diabetes.
Randy became involved with
Diabetes Care Educational Association, Inc. after a trip to Las
Vegas where he met President, George Czeiszperger. Randy commented, "George
had such a passion to help others, and I wanted to help out too."
With Randy fighting both
cancer and diabetes, he was asked, what has given you hope to
go on? Randy shared, "The
best words of wisdom I ever heard was from my physician, Dr. Gary
Hammer, from the University of Michigan. He told me, "Randy,
you're not a statistic, you're a person." These words gave
me a lot of determination and hope. Cancer and diabetes are not
a death sentence. You have to live with it. I'm not a sick person,
I'm a person living with a minor inconvenience."
