Stories of children and their loved ones
Benoit St-Amand
Para-Olympian, cured of osteosarcoma.
April 19, 1993, the day of my 15th birthday, will remain etched in my memory forever. This is the day it all began for me.
At the age of 15, being told that I had bone cancer, that I had a high risk of losing my leg and that my life was in danger, was not the “birthday gift” I had hoped for.Benoit
Benoit at the hospital in 1993.
With the support of my family, I was able to get through this tough time despite the slim chances of surviving osteosarcoma. Since then, the chances of healing have been increasing year by year, thanks to research, which is so important. Feeling so much support from family, friends and specialists gives us confidence and determination to fight the disease.
Benoit in 2014.
Despite being cured, the disease left traces… The loss of my leg is the most obvious, but also, the fact that I will never be able to have children naturally. When I learned this, I felt like many of my dreams wouldn’t come true.
Still, life has a way of surprising us, because today, two of my biggest dreams came true: first, I had the chance to participate in 3 Paralympic Games with the National Sledge Hockey Team where I had the chance to win a gold medal (Turin 2006) and a bronze medal (Sochi 2014).
Finally, the most beautiful dream I realized is to have a wonderful family. My wife and I adopted our Vietnamese princess with whom we live happily.
Benoit and his family.