Ambassadors of Grand Sapin de Sainte-Justine, Fred Pellerin and his daughter, Marie-Fée, told their story, namely Marie-Fée’s diagnosis of cancer in 2019.
• Read more: Sebastian Diaz is speaking out about his cancer for the first time
After a scan the previous day in Trois-Rivières, they were told there was something “monstrous” between Marie-Fee’s lungs.
“The doctor told us, ‘It’s December 24th, go home and exchange gifts this evening, because tomorrow we have to return to Saint-Justin,'” explains Fred Pellerin.
The 14-year-old was diagnosed with cancer, stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
It had already been a year since Mary-Fee was at the top of her game, and she had back pain and fatigue that no one could explain.
But eventually it was cancer that struck her.
“The fear of dying has settled in like an unexpected guest. Does this belong to reality? Never, never,” explains 18-year-old Marie-Fee, in a text she signed on the CHU Saint-Justine Foundation website.
Six cycles of chemotherapy and 14 sessions of radiotherapy were necessary to neutralize the cancer that had established itself in his lymph nodes.
“For countless hours, little by little, Saint-Justin became my identity, my fortress,” he insists.
“We returned here on December 24, which roughly corresponds to the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the longest night, the darkest time of the year. Following the treatment, we were almost on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, the summer solstice, the longest light of the year. .It’s a story of light,” says Fred Pellerin.
Today, Mary-Fee assures us that she is doing well. She studies at Brébeuf College and dreams of becoming a doctor. She feels lucky to still be alive.
The Grand Fir of Saint-Justine decided to tell her story for the first time to raise awareness about donating as part of a fundraising campaign.
“Until then, this year, I’m impatiently waiting for the big fir bulb. “You will make it possible for hundreds of families, like mine, to find hope,” writes Mary-Fee.
The 16th Grand Fir of the Campaign of Saint-Justin Running till December 7th.
“Pop culture practitioner. Award-winning tv junkie. Creator. Devoted food geek. Twitter lover. Beer enthusiast.”
