MONTREAL, April 11, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec is proud to announce the names of the main recipients and runners-up of the Pat Burns Award (2nd edition), recognizing informal caregivers' contribution to the well-being of people with cancer. The awards presentation ceremony took place during the 5th National Conference to Defeat Cancer. "Though we deplore the fact that the role of informal caregivers is not fully appreciated, we are forced to recognize that natural caregivers themselves often find it difficult to admit how remarkable their contribution truly is." As Pat Burns Award president Jason Burns pointed out during his opening remarks, "fortunately, some of the people close to them were kind enough to tell us about their story."
Quebec rapper Ale Dee, spokesman for the 2nd edition of the award, made an on-stage launch appearance, performing the Pat Burns Award theme song, entitled Femme de ma vie, which he wrote for his mother who has breast cancer.
Thanks to a generous contribution from Pat Burns Award partner Celgene, the main recipient and two runners-up shared a prize of $10,000.
Main recipient - Marcel Monette (Montreal)
At the age of 49, his wife Maryse was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer. Realizing that she had a life expectancy of two or three years, Marcel Monette quit working and traveling so that he could devote as much time as possible to his wife. Over the past five years, he has been at her side during their frequent trips between Lac Brome and Montreal, at every examination, every medical appointment and every chemotherapy treatment, providing unparraled support throughout the two transplants she had to undergo. In 2009, when they learned that Maryse had gone into full remission, they organized the first Multiple Myeloma March in Montreal.
In her testimonial, Maryse Bouchard says that her husband's creativity, compassion and love were instrumental in her battle against cancer. Their social commitment and the immense respect that Marcel Monette has shown his family are what led the jury to crown him, with great admiration, as the main recipient of the Pat Burns Award (2nd edition).
Runner-up - Ollie Painchaud (Québec City)
In July, 2002, Ollie Painchaud sold her house to move to Québec City. On a practically full-time basis, she spent the first seven years of her retirement providing the care and support that her mother Marie-Ange required. As a result, she came to the aid of her two sisters who were starting to feel exhausted due to the constant assistance they had been lending their mother for a number of years already. Marie-Ange Gauthier passed away in August 2009, at the age of 91, following a drawn-out battle against illness, multiple cancers, growing deafness, Parkinson's disease and several related disorders, all of which were spread over roughly fifteen years.
Ollie's brother submitted her candidacy, convinced as he was that she is an anonymous example of the many people who devote their body and soul to helping a loved one with cancer, and whose work and devotion are seldom recognized or even appreciated. The Pat Burns Award jury members totally agree with him and wished to stress her courage and the energy she devotes to sharing the knowledge gained from her experience through the Association des proches aidants de la Capitale-Nationale, which she herself founded in 2007.
Runner-up - Raymond Baillargeon (Québec City)
Raymond Baillargeon's candidacy was submitted to us by his son André. Day in and day out, for close to 15 years, Raymond took care of his wife, Céline Tardif, who passed away on November 15, 2012. Right up until the end, he was there to assist with her everyday needs: feeding, personal hygiene, care, transportation, well-being, etc. Throughout this ordeal, Raymond Baillargeon also devoted a great deal of effort to helping his brother René, also suffering from cancer.
As if that were not enough, Raymond himself had to battle against this disease. Following surgery undergone in 2010, he now has to live with the threat of recurrence. Faced with the obvious, the Pat Burns Award jury members wholeheartedly supports André Baillargeon when he writes, at the end of his letter: "My father took care of my mother like an angel. I owe him a great deal and thank him from the bottom of my heart".
A jury favourite - Rita "Mimi" Blais
This year, the jury insisted on highlighting a very special candidacy, that of Rita "Mimi" Blais, also known as the Queen of Ragtime. Seventeen years ago, a man named Rémi took a photo of her during a performance at the Festi Jazz international de Rimouski. At the time, she did not know that they would become a couple years later. When they met again in 2010, he informed her that he was suffering from advanced cancer. Nonetheless, she agreed to enter into the relationship and promised him her unconditional support. She was just recovering from a depression during which she had given up music, but her companion encouraged her to reconnect with her passion, which turned out to be wise advice as it relaunched her career. Between medical appointments and chemotherapy sessions, she went on tour with Rémi who was thrilled to travel with her. Mimi also organized a benefit concert and donated the funds to Maison Victor-Gadbois, where Rémi spent the remaining weeks of his life, in accordance with his wishes. The jury was especially moved by this poignant love story, in which the characters gave each other the means and courage to pursue their dreams.
Five honourable mentions
Unable to overlook the altruistic efforts of a few special individuals on behalf of people with cancer, the jury also insisted on awarding honourary mentions to Marie-Ève Lemay Morel, Suzanne Desautels, Geneviève Courchesne, Dominique Bienvenu and Caroline Leclaire.
About the Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec
Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec was founded in 2001 to protect, support and give a voice to people affected by cancer (patients, survivors, informal caregivers, their families and their loved ones, as well as cancer-related community organizations and health professionals) and to help 3 organize the fight against cancer. Because of the contribution of these organizations and members, the Coalition's membership represents close to 1.5 million people.
SOURCE: Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec
Web Site: www.coalitioncancer.com
facebook : CoalitionPrioriteCancerAuQuebec
twitter : @CoalitionCancer
Informations :
Sylvie Piché
514-868-2009, poste 225 or 514 296-0694
[email protected]
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