Camille Rochon’s 24h Tremblant: from child hero to participant
A very special team has been formed for the 22nd edition of the 24h Tremblant. Called Guérison Charles-Bruneau, it brings together former child heroes of the Foundation who have now recovered. Together, these young people, now adults, are proof that an “after” is possible. Proof that research has made giant strides and continues to save lives, day after day.
Here is the testimony of one of them, Camille Rochon, now a mother of two.
Where it all begins
August 1st, 2003. At the age of 10, my world was turned upside down when I was rushed to the Sainte-Justine UHC following abnormal blood tests.
Four days of waiting for the diagnosis, four days of telling my parents not to cry when it was announced. It was as if I knew that the worst possible option was the one that would be presented to us. At 10 years old, I didn’t want to see the shockwave that this diagnosis would create around me.
August 4, 2003. The diagnosis came: it was cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Those words that we didn’t want to hear, that so many parents and children shouldn’t hear. The information is overwhelming. The mountain is huge, the peak seems so far away. Lympho-what leukemia? Acute, what does that mean? WAIT, 2 YEARS OF TREATMENT?!? And the chances of recovery, in all this? 75%…? That’s good, but not enough! We don’t dare think about the other 25%. In my childish mind, it is not even possible.
Optimistic, you may ask? Courageous? I had to, it was no longer an option. I learned later that courage is not in the fact of facing an ordeal, or even winning the battle, but in the way of facing it.
It was on August 4, 2003, that the Charles-Bruneau Foundation and the 24h Tremblant entered my life and changed it forever. Today, almost 20 years later, I am still grateful to these organizations and the people who have worked and still work there. The chances of recovery are even greater today, but the rest of the hill to climb is also the hardest part. I hope that I can make a difference for the children who are fighting and for their families who are fighting alongside them.
A long story
I have a special history with the 24h Tremblant and the Charles-Bruneau Foundation. I was first a child hero on many occasions for different events, notably the 24h Tremblant in 2003 and 2004. Nearly 15 years later, while working in public relations at the TACT communications agency, I had the opportunity to promote the Charles-Bruneau Foundation and the 24h Tremblant. Doing the job I’m passionate about in addition to doing it for organizations I cherish, I feel particularly blessed to have been able to experience this! In 2019, I was able to live the experience of a participant, a memorable experience that I am eager to repeat this year.
It was therefore only natural for me to join the Charles-Bruneau Foundation as part of the Guérison Charles-Bruneau team! I hope to give hope to sick children and their parents. I sincerely hope that my story will give them the strength to continue and the hope that there is an “after” and that it can be beautiful.
Memories of the 24h Tremblant
During my first 24h as a child hero, in 2003, I was unfortunately unable to go to Tremblant for the weekend in question due to an unscheduled hospitalization. This time, it was a C. difficile infection that deprived me of this event, an infection that my immune system is too weak to fight. Nevertheless, I was able to live the magical experience from a distance.
The following year, I attended the event, which still marks me today. What I remember most is the strength transmitted by the participants and the ambassadors. As a child hero, this weekend is like a respite, a moment where you forget (or almost forget) the routine of the treatments. It is a very special event where the strength of the participants is transmitted to the children; an incredible push in the back!
In closing: thank you
To all the donors and participants of the 24h Tremblant, thank you. Your involvement is precious and makes a real difference for the children, but also for their families who are living this ordeal at their side. The cure rate is higher than ever, but there are still cases for which treatments do not work. Research allows us to hope for better cure rates, and also to continue to make progress in order to offer a brighter future to sick children who still have many after-effects due to the aggressiveness of the treatments received at a young age. This research requires your generosity.
To support Camille and the Guérison Charles-Bruneau team, it is possible to make a donation online. Follow the Charles-Bruneau Foundation’s Instagram and Facebook pages to discover the other exceptional people who will be at its side on December 10, 11 and 12!
