MONTREAL, March 20, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Just 48 hours from his departure for Nepal and the scaling of Everest, Dr. Alain Bouthillier, a neurosurgeon at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and member of the CHUM's Groupe d'épilepsie, heads off with the knowledge that over half of the $100,000 target has been reached in connection with Together to the summit, to conquer epilepsy, his fundraiser for the Fondation du CHUM.
The benefit gala held yesterday by Dr. Bouthillier and the CHUM's Groupe d'épilepsie met with rousing success as more than 100 guests, among them members of the CHUM community, patients, donors and public figures, came together for the cause. Many were deeply touched to hear testimony from some of the patients present for this special occasion to support Dr. Bouthillier. Words of hope and gratitude were expressed toward these health professionals who dedicate themselves to give their patients the best care available.
"I'm very fortunate to be able to attend such wonderful events where we see the importance of involvement on the part of healthcare professionals at our hospital," stressed Yvon Deschamps, the volunteer spokesperson for the Fondation du CHUM. "It's marvelous to know that the funds raised by Dr. Bouthillier and the Groupe d'épilepsie will enable certain patients to find a cure for epilepsy! This is no small feat!"
"I'm happy to see that specialists like Dr. Bouthillier and the Groupe d'épilepsie have really made an investment and are involved so that patients, like me at the present moment, can have the benefit of a good quality of life," added chef Louis-François Marcotte, who had agreed to speak during the evening about his life with epilepsy.
Driven by his previous fundraising experiences, Dr. Bouthillier is confident of reaching his $100,000 goal, at the same time bringing awareness of this still taboo disease to as many people as possible. In fact, 1% of Quebec's population is affected by it. The funds collected will make possible achievements which can be measured, for example, financial backing for cutting-edge research technologies - magnetoencephalography and quantitative cerebral imaging, which is used to identify the area of the brain giving rise to seizures, the epileptic focus.
"My greatest hope, based on research projects, is that we can target the epileptic focus in each patient and remove it, thus curing the epilepsy," indicated Dr. Bouthillier. In Quebec alone, some 4,000 people will learn this year that they are epileptic.
"I'm the living proof that research make real difference in the lives of patient. Today, two years after my first surgery I'm officially cured of epilepsy. Dr. Bouthillier and the Groupe d'épilepsie gave me a new life," declared with great emotion Marie-Hélène Trudeau, who has already been one of the third of Quebec's 70,000 epileptics to prove resistant to the medication.
There is still time to make a donation to help Dr. Bouthillier reach his goal! As he himself says: "Not everyone can climb to the summit of Mount Everest, but everyone can help me get there! Together to the summit, to conquer epilepsy! "
Dr. Bouthillier expects to scale the final 8,848 metres of Everest around May 10th. You can follow his adventure on the Website of the Fondation du CHUM (fondationduchum.com and their Facebook page facebook.com/FondationCHUM).
Watch Dr. Bouthillier as he explains his goal and what motivates him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHD8wYXahw8
About the CHUM's Groupe d'épilepsie
The CHUM's Groupe d'épilepsie is a multidisciplinary team composed of three neurologists and a neurosurgeon with specialized training in epilepsy treatment and surgery. Their mission is to assess and care for the complex cases of epilepsy which are often resistant to medication. Each year, this team deals with 600 new cases and welcomes 4,250 visitors.
About the Fondation du CHUM
The Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) acts as a catalyst and a driving force behind the CHUM as it carries out its mission through a great many initiatives, fundraising activities (mailings, solicitation from individual donors, private foundations and businesses) and its capital fundraising campaign. Since 1998, it has turned over more than 102 million dollars to the CHUM thanks to the generosity of its donors. Whether it is a matter of purchasing state-of-the-art equipment, supporting research projects which lead to the development of promising treatment methods, helping to train tomorrow's medical specialists or underwriting the promotion of health, the funds raised contribute toward offering ever better care to patients. fondationduchum.com
Image with caption: "Dr. Alain Bouthillier (second to the left) with volunteer spokesperson of the Fondation du CHUM, Yvon Deschamps, chef Louis-François Marcotte and some members of CHUM's Groupe d'épilepsie. (CNW Group/Fondation du CHUM)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140320_C6287_PHOTO_EN_38187.jpg
SOURCE: Fondation du CHUM
Elodie Grange
Director, Communication and Marketing
Fondation du CHUM 514 890-8361
[email protected]
Marie-Luce Pelletier Legros
Advisor, Communication and Marketing
Fondation du CHUM 514 890-8077, ext. 36182
[email protected]
Pictures available upon request.
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