2023-10-14 20:45:27
“These are five people who had a second chance at life,” explain the parents of Charles-Olivier Nadeau who donated his organs following his death a year and a half ago when he was was only 15 years old. They also want to emphasize the importance of giving, but above all to talk regarding it.
“What I find most touching is seeing families of recipients that I don’t know come up to me and say “thank you because it’s thanks to families like you that my son is still alive” , that’s extremely gratifying,” said his father Louis-Philippe Nadeau on the sidelines of the Chaîne de vie challenge at the Relais in Lac-Beauport on Saturday.
Nearly 150 people gathered to walk alongside members of the Bilodeau-Nadeau family, the standard-bearer family of the event for the Capitale-Nationale region, who saw their lives turned upside down with the death of their son.
Chain of Life Challenge 2023 at the Relais in Lac-Beauport | Credit: Sandrine Duchêne
“We didn’t want him to be forgotten and even a year and a half following his death, the community and the people around us are still very present and it’s magnificent to see that,” he says.
“I am so proud of the decision we made. We often feel alone, but to see that there are so many people who support us, it’s larger than life,” adds Charles-Olivier’s mother, Annie Bilodeau.
In total, 21 similar gatherings will take place over the weekend, all organized by the Chaîne de vie organization which aims to educate young people aged 15 to 17 regarding organ and tissue donation.
Chain of Life Challenge 2023 at the Relais in Lac-Beauport | Credit: Sandrine Duchêne
“It changes more than a life”
As Mr. Nadeau explains, organ donations have immeasurable importance since it is not just regarding giving someone a second chance.
“An organ donation changes more than a life. It affects family, friends and colleagues. The impact that it has is not even measurable and that is why it is so important,” he explains.
For her part, the coordinator of the event for the Capitale-Nationale region is also well placed to talk regarding it since her daughter, now aged 10, received a heart transplant when she was not was only three months old.
Family of Marie-Ève St-Pierre in the Chain of Life challenge in 2020 | Photo provided by Marie-Ève St-Pierre
“When you learn that your child will need a transplant, it’s the end of the world. Life stops and you don’t know how long it will take, in our case it might be up to two years, but we were lucky,” explains Marie-Ève St-Pierre.
The importance of talking regarding it
The speakers met by the Journal, however, all insisted on a very specific point which is also the most important according to them; the importance of talking regarding it.
“Donating organs isn’t just regarding signing your health insurance card. We absolutely must be educated, discuss it and understand what it entails because there are always 30% of people who are not ready,” explains Ms. St-Pierre.
“It is absolutely necessary to have talked regarding it because when you are told of the death of a loved one you are in shock and that is not the time to ask yourself these questions,” adds the father by Charles-Olivier.
The percentage of family refusals has also decreased from 42% in 2014 to 32% in 2022, thus allowing thousands of Quebecers to regain their health and have a second chance at life thanks to transplantation. Last year, in Quebec, 171 donors and their families helped 483 people regain their health.
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