Jam-packed day planned for Gordie Howe's birthday
By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 7:06 p.m. EDT March 30, 2015
Mr. Hockey turns 87 Tuesday; family plans to treat him to fishing, cake and possibly some Red Wings

Four months ago, the Howe children wrote a eulogy for their dad. Today, they are writing him birthday cards, and taking him fishing.

There's also a second visit to a stem cell clinic in Mexico on the schedule.

Gordie Howe, a legend in hockey and to the Detroit Red Wings in particular, turns 87 Tuesday. Plans are to treat him to barbecue and cake — he loves sweets — and outdoors activity. In the evening, if he is up to it, he will watch on TV as the Wings host the Ottawa Senators.

"We're treating every day we get with him as a bonus," son Mark Howe told the Free Press today, "just because his condition around December 1 was so dire that we didn't imagine he'd be around. You cherish every day with him, and when he has good days, you cherish that more." ...

While dementia has robbed him of short-term memory — "we'll tell him it's his birthday," Murray Howe said, "and five minutes later, he'll forget" — Gordie Howe knows who he is, and who he was.

"He loves old videos of when he played with Mark and Marty, of Team Canada '74, of when he scored is 545th goal to beat Rocket Richard," Murray Howe said. "He loves to watch that stuff.

"When he's at physical therapy, they know he is Gordie Howe, and they love working with him and he loves playing that role of superhero." ...

The Howe family is aware of the criticism leveled because they went to Mexico to undergo treatment unavailable in the United States. But their principle wasn't government regulations. Their principle was their dad.

"He had nothing left to lose," Mark Howe said.

Now, Gordie Howe has regained the 30 pounds he'd lost. He's back up to 200 pounds, his old playing weight. And he's still an overachiever.

"He does physical therapy a few times a week," Mark Howe said, "and they had him in the 90th percentile of 86-year-olds. He can walk around pretty darn good. I was down there a week ago and we spent 45 minutes getting fishing gear and a license and then we went to a drug store and shopped for 45 minutes. Went back home, had a bite to eat, and then went catfishing.

"They are simple things in life, but it's fun to spend time with Dad, and when he has his good days, you take advantage of it. When he doesn't, you let him take his naps and let him do the best he can. When he is doing well, you can carry on a conversation. Other times, when he hasn't slept well, his speech is slurred, and then he struggles. You just treasure the moments you do have with him." ...