“These are five people who had a second chance at life,” explain the parents of Charles-Olivier Nadeau, who donated his organs after his death a year and a half ago, when he was only 15 years old. You also want to emphasize the importance of giving, but most importantly talk about it.
“What touches me the most is seeing families of recipients 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,’ which is extremely gratifying “, admitted his father. Louis-Philippe Nadeau, on the sidelines of the Chaîne de vie Challenge, on Saturday at the Relais de Lac-Beauport.
Nearly 150 people gathered to walk alongside members of the Bilodeau-Nadeau family, the event’s flag-bearing family for the Capitale-Nationale region, whose lives were turned upside down by the death of their son.
Chain of Life Challenge 2023 at the Relais de Lac-Beauport | Photo credit: Sandrine Duchêne
“We didn’t want him to be forgotten and even a year and a half after his death, the community and the people around us are still very present and it’s great 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 is larger than life,” adds Charles-Olivier’s mother Annie Bilodeau.
In total, 21 similar meetings will take place over the weekend, all organized by the organization Chaîne de vie, whose aim is to educate young people aged 15 to 17 about organ and tissue donation.
Chain of Life Challenge 2023 at the Relais de Lac-Beauport | Photo credit: Sandrine Duchêne
“It changes more than one life”
As Mr. Nadeau explains, organ donation is of immense importance because it is not just about giving someone a second chance.
“Organ donation changes more than one life. It affects family, friends and colleagues. The impact it has is not even measurable and that is why it is so important,” he explains.
For her part, the event coordinator for the Capitale-Nationale region is well placed to talk about it because her daughter, now 10 years old, received a heart transplant when she was just three months old.
Family of Marie-Ève St-Pierre in the Chain of Life Challenge 2020 | Photo provided by Marie-Ève St-Pierre
“If you find out your child needs a transplant, it’s the end of the world. Life stops and you don’t know how long it will last, in our case it could be up to two years, but we were lucky,” explains Marie-Ève St-Pierre.
How important it is to talk about it
However, the speakers interviewed by Le Journal all emphasized a very specific point that, in their opinion, is the most important: the importance of talking about it.
“Organ donation is not just about signing the health insurance card. We definitely need to be educated, discuss it and understand what it means, because there are always 30% of people who are not ready,” explains Ms. St-Pierre.
“It is absolutely necessary to have spoken about it because when you learn of the death of a loved one you are in shock and this is not the time to ask yourself these questions,” adds Charles-Olivier’s father.
The percentage of rejections by family members has also fallen from 42% in 2014 to 32% in 2022, allowing thousands of Quebecers to regain their health and get a second chance at life thanks to a transplant. Last year, 171 donors and their families helped 483 people regain their health in Quebec.