MAXI DOMI PRAISES HIS MOM OVER CONTRACT RENEWAL “ONCE A MOM, ALWAYS A MOM”

TORONTO (Jan. 18) — It is so true. A mother’s work is never complete. Not for one day. Not for one hour. Even if her famous, 25–year–old son, earning $10.6 million over two years to play hockey with the Columbus Blue Jackets, lives 688 kilometers (427 miles) southwest of home, in Toronto. And, particularly with a closed Canada–USA border in the midst of the COVID–19 pandemic. Thank goodness for modern technology.

“Do I still worry about Max?” says Leanne Domi, repeating a question asked to her over the phone. “Absolutely. Of course I do. It’s a mother’s instinct and I doubt, for me, it will ever change. We stay in touch every day. I need to ensure that he’s doing well.” In Max Domi’s world, “doing well” indicates he is controlling Type 1 Diabetes, with which he has struggled, on and off, for nearly half his life. He was 12 years old and coming off a hockey tournament in Detroit, juggling alternate bouts of insatiable thirst and a profound need to empty his bladder. Blood work on the son of ex–Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tie Domi revealed the alarming news that he’d contracted a potentially fatal disease, one that required continual supervision.

Max detailed his medical odyssey with refreshing candor in a 2019 national bestseller NO DAYS OFF, written with my one–time colleague at The FAN–590, Jim Lang. To favorably encounter Type 1 Diabetes each day is an ample challenge. To do so while playing in the world’s best hockey league is monumental. Max Domi has accomplished both… and rather well. But, his mother is rarely appeased. “I have complete faith and confidence in Max and his ability to keep on top of the disease,” says Leanne. “Still, I check on him all the time. Whenever I ask about his Insulin or blood levels, he says ‘Mummm!’ That’s my cue to stop. So, I try to not dwell on it. He’s actually quite amazing, the way he charts everything: his sleep; his nutrition; his blood levels. On top of the Diabetes, he also has Celiac Disease and must avoid Gluten products. So, me and Tie are always worried that everything in his life is balanced. He’s good at understanding that his parents need to know. Even if he’s determined to control his health independently. Which Max does exceptionally well.”