The Sainte-Justine Scotiabank Charity Challenge has become a tradition for us. Every year, we take advantage of the opportunity to dust off our running shoes and get back in somewhat decent shape to avoid utter humiliation during the race. We also use this as a way to appeal to the generosity of our friends and family on behalf of Sainte-Justine.
Our relationship with Sainte-Justine dates back to 2013. Twenty weeks into our pregnancy, an ultrasound showed a heart defect in our little Léo. That was followed by a series of detailed explanations from the medical teams, all of which were delivered with clarity and compassion. We were told it was a case of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and that open-heart surgery would be required a few days after he was born.
Our ties with the hospital grew even stronger with the arrival of our daughter, Violette, who had a different path to follow as a result of a brain malformation and a hormone deficit. She is also no stranger to Sainte-Justine.
Sainte-Justine continues to be a part of our lives even now. We have lasting memories of every moment we have spent at this incredible place, many of them profoundly heartwarming: Dr. Miró arriving in the middle of the night, like a knight on his steed, to carry out an emergency procedure; our candid and eye-opening conversations with Dr. Poirier and the magic she performed in the operating room; the professionalism and generosity of Dr. Van Vliet, who answered an email sent on a Saturday in two days, like a bottle in the ocean; and all the healthcare professionals, nurses and the NICU team – their words, their hands on our shoulders, their smiles.
This year’s Scotiabank challenge has been cancelled amid the madness of current events. But we have nevertheless decided to stay true to our principles and uphold a tradition that is so important to us by creating a special fundraiser, with the assistance of the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation.
What a wonderful surprise! In only a few days, and despite the challenging and uncertain circumstances everyone is experiencing in the wake of the lockdown, we hit a five-year fundraising high, bringing in more than $23,000.
We will also be taking part in the Get Moving for Sainte-Justine challenge on June 20 to show our support for the hospital’s caregivers.
We were somewhat reluctant to write this article. Modesty and humility dictated that the spotlight be kept firmly on Sainte-Justine’s healthcare professionals as well as the donors who give so generously to a fundraising campaign of this nature. And because, although we have seen our fair share of challenges and adjustments over time, we are very fortunate in that things have sorted themselves out and our life as a family of four is a full and happy one.
But we set our hesitation aside to write to you today for three simple yet important reasons.
We want to encourage you to donate to Sainte-Justine because the hospital, their young patients and their research teams need you. It is a fantastic and easy way for everyone to make a real difference in children’s lives. We can attest to this personally.
We would also like to thank all those who have shown such outstanding kindness during these extraordinary times.
And, last but not least, we want to offer up our thoughts to parents and loved ones of children who are in a difficult situation right now and salute their courage.
Here’s to our paths crossing in the very near future! With love,
Andrée-Anne & Aniko
*The remarks expressed in this article reflect the opinion solely of the author and should not be considered as representative of the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation.
