« Marc est un exemple de courage »
Hockey mercredi, 3 déc. 2008. 22:27 samedi, 14 déc. 2024. 17:01
Les joueurs des Lions du Lac Saint-louis ont vécu une expérience unique qui saura sûrement en inspirée plus qu'un. Après avoir vu le jeune Marc Normandeau, 13 ans seulement, participer à la mise au jeu protocolaire lors de la joute d'ouverture en septembre, ce dernier a été invité par l'entraîneur Danny Dupont à participer à un entraînement des Lions où il s'est amusé à stopper les tirs des attaquants. En plus d'être 3 ans plus jeunes que l'ensemble des joueurs de l'équipe avec qui il a pratiqué, le jeune Marc combat une terrible maladie, la leucémie ! Démontrant ainsi toute une détermination qui lui vaut beaucoup de reconnaissance. « Marc est un exemple de courage et d'inspiration pour mes joueurs et pour moi », a dit l'entraîneur Dupont. Nous reproduisons ici, un texte paru dans le journal « The Gazette » de mardi le 2 décembre, sous la plume du journaliste J.G. Gravenor racontant l'histoire de Marc Normandeau, un jeune de 13 ans de St-Lazarre, qui mène un combat contre la leucémie avec le sourire.
Doing battle with a smile
St. Lazare teen is not cowering in his fight with leukemia. He's raising money for the Montreal Children's Hospital and keeping up with classmates with a little high-tech help
J.D. GRAVENOR
Freelance
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Flying south for a quick holiday is supposed to be fun and relaxing. But for one St. Lazare teenager, spring break 2008 marked the beginning of his fight for survival.
"We were in Florida," recalls 13-year-old Marc Normandeau. "My mom saw that I had no colour in me. I was just grey."
So Marc and his family rushed to a hospital in Orlando, where they learned that the cancer he first battled into submission from the age of four had returned. It's called acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Six months later, the Grade 8 student at Westwood High School's Junior Campus in St. Lazare is not only fighting the disease, he's also spearheading a fundraising effort in support of the cancer ward of the Montreal Children's Hospital.
And, thanks to the support of a generous community, he's raised almost $20,000.
"The hospital is amazing," Marc said, during a recent break in his chemotherapy sessions. "It's the same place I went when I was four. They treat me great."
The fundraising campaign started almost by accident. In April, the members of Marc's peewee hockey team decided to shave their heads in solidarity with their all-star goaltender, just before his hair fell out because of cancer treatments. That resulted in some local publicity. Several teams at the midget and bantam levels also pledged their support.
Next, a group of St. Lazare mothers started a campaign to help Marc secure the best possible care. They ordered hundreds of silicone bracelets, inscribed with the words "Mark's All Star Team" and started circulating them around various schools, raising thousands of dollars.
"They're still going around," said Marc. "Brad Stuart from the Detroit Red Wings bought some to support me, as did the kids at the Children's Hospital, Westwood's Junior and Senior campuses, John Rennie High School and Collège Bourget. Kids are wearing them today."
It was the success of the bracelet promotion that convinced Marc to set up an official fund with the Montreal Children's Hospital, in order to purchase some new equipment for Room 8D, the oncology-hematology ward at the downtown hospital.
Then the fund really started taking off. For example:
$730 was donated after a Canadiens jersey sale at Kuper Academy.
$3,000 was raised by a girl who threw herself a birthday party, asking people to donate to Marc's cause instead of buying her presents.
$5,300 was added by the St. Lazare Women's Softball League, who held a fundraising event in September. (Marc even got to pitch a few innings in a game between the all-star women's team and his peewee baseball crew.)
$8,000 was donated by Vocera Communications, the company that employs Marc's father.
Marc's former piano teacher raised $630 with a fundraising concert in Hudson.
So far, Marc's fund has raised $18,922 for the Montreal Children's Foundation. The hospital is confident he can hit his $20,000 target by Christmas.
"Marc is a very dynamic young man," said Danielle Gabrielle Roy, director of communications at the hospital. "He should be achieving his objectives."
Marc has also received important moral support, too. The Lac St. Louis Lions of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League invited him to drop the puck at their home opener in September. Then, they asked him to suit up for one of their practices, stopping the best shots of boys three and four years older than him.
"They gave him some pretty tough shots," said his mother, Cindy Normandeau. "And he was sick as a dog the previous day. I was proud of him."
So was the team.
"Marc is a tremendous example of courage," said Danny Dupont, head coach of the Lions. "He inspires me and our players with the courage he shows every day. He's a great kid. He's smart, he communicates well, he's mature, courageous, polite, and always brings a smile to your face when you see him."
That spirit is one of the reasons for which Marc has been selected for another honour to take place early next year. As part of the Champions Across Canada program, he has been chosen to represent Quebec and the Montreal Children's Hospital in Ottawa and Orlando, Florida. Sponsored by Wal-Mart, the Champions program recognizes children with illnesses, and rewards the courage of a child in each Canadian province.
Unfortunately, given his current condition and the daily struggle he is undergoing to beat his cancer, Marc can't attend hockey practice or go to school. That worries this honour-roll student, who is part of his school's enriched program. After all, he doesn't want to repeat Grade 8. Thankfully, he won't have to - if he manages to pass his core courses.
That's where the power of technology comes in. Thanks to a high-tech device that is just beginning to appear in schools, Marc will be able to attend classes from his bed in hospital or at home.
One such "telepresence" device, which is manufactured by the Tandberg corporation, is installed by Marc's bedside and the other one is at school.
"So Marc will be able to follow all his classes from home and from hospital," said Marc's father, Pierre Normandeau. "The kids get to see him, and he gets to see them. So he's not losing touch with buddies and friends, which is important at that age."
"There were some technical bugs in the beginning, but I feel it's working pretty well now," said Hans Bulow, principal of Westwood High School's Junior Campus. "The only thing that gets in Marc's way now is his health."
Marc is using the machine to follow the classroom lectures for math, science, English and French. Before his classes start, students in the class greet Marc face to face, thanks to the device's video camera and screen. But the device is usually directed towards the teacher and the blackboard, so Marc can listen and take notes wherever he is.
"We just got a report card last week," Pierre Normandeau said. "He made honour roll again - without even stepping into the school."
The teleconferencing machine helps a lot, Marc says.
"It lifts my spirits," he said. "It's like I'm in the classroom ... but not quite."
Marc is currently undergoing an aggressive round of chemotherapy that will continue throughout the winter months. But this keen athlete is especially eager to get back on his skates.
"I have a really strong interest in hockey," said Marc, who is a veteran goaltender of the Trois Lacs league. "Hopefully, I can get back to that when I finish my five-month phase."
- - -
What Do You Think?
Has someone's act of courage inspired you?
Write and tell us. Send a note, cartoon, even a photograph, as long as it arrives by Friday morning. Feel free to include your own story ideas.
Send email to schools@ thegazette.canwest.com and faxes to (514) 987-2638 c/o schools.
The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
Doing battle with a smile
St. Lazare teen is not cowering in his fight with leukemia. He's raising money for the Montreal Children's Hospital and keeping up with classmates with a little high-tech help
J.D. GRAVENOR
Freelance
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Flying south for a quick holiday is supposed to be fun and relaxing. But for one St. Lazare teenager, spring break 2008 marked the beginning of his fight for survival.
"We were in Florida," recalls 13-year-old Marc Normandeau. "My mom saw that I had no colour in me. I was just grey."
So Marc and his family rushed to a hospital in Orlando, where they learned that the cancer he first battled into submission from the age of four had returned. It's called acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Six months later, the Grade 8 student at Westwood High School's Junior Campus in St. Lazare is not only fighting the disease, he's also spearheading a fundraising effort in support of the cancer ward of the Montreal Children's Hospital.
And, thanks to the support of a generous community, he's raised almost $20,000.
"The hospital is amazing," Marc said, during a recent break in his chemotherapy sessions. "It's the same place I went when I was four. They treat me great."
The fundraising campaign started almost by accident. In April, the members of Marc's peewee hockey team decided to shave their heads in solidarity with their all-star goaltender, just before his hair fell out because of cancer treatments. That resulted in some local publicity. Several teams at the midget and bantam levels also pledged their support.
Next, a group of St. Lazare mothers started a campaign to help Marc secure the best possible care. They ordered hundreds of silicone bracelets, inscribed with the words "Mark's All Star Team" and started circulating them around various schools, raising thousands of dollars.
"They're still going around," said Marc. "Brad Stuart from the Detroit Red Wings bought some to support me, as did the kids at the Children's Hospital, Westwood's Junior and Senior campuses, John Rennie High School and Collège Bourget. Kids are wearing them today."
It was the success of the bracelet promotion that convinced Marc to set up an official fund with the Montreal Children's Hospital, in order to purchase some new equipment for Room 8D, the oncology-hematology ward at the downtown hospital.
Then the fund really started taking off. For example:
$730 was donated after a Canadiens jersey sale at Kuper Academy.
$3,000 was raised by a girl who threw herself a birthday party, asking people to donate to Marc's cause instead of buying her presents.
$5,300 was added by the St. Lazare Women's Softball League, who held a fundraising event in September. (Marc even got to pitch a few innings in a game between the all-star women's team and his peewee baseball crew.)
$8,000 was donated by Vocera Communications, the company that employs Marc's father.
Marc's former piano teacher raised $630 with a fundraising concert in Hudson.
So far, Marc's fund has raised $18,922 for the Montreal Children's Foundation. The hospital is confident he can hit his $20,000 target by Christmas.
"Marc is a very dynamic young man," said Danielle Gabrielle Roy, director of communications at the hospital. "He should be achieving his objectives."
Marc has also received important moral support, too. The Lac St. Louis Lions of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League invited him to drop the puck at their home opener in September. Then, they asked him to suit up for one of their practices, stopping the best shots of boys three and four years older than him.
"They gave him some pretty tough shots," said his mother, Cindy Normandeau. "And he was sick as a dog the previous day. I was proud of him."
So was the team.
"Marc is a tremendous example of courage," said Danny Dupont, head coach of the Lions. "He inspires me and our players with the courage he shows every day. He's a great kid. He's smart, he communicates well, he's mature, courageous, polite, and always brings a smile to your face when you see him."
That spirit is one of the reasons for which Marc has been selected for another honour to take place early next year. As part of the Champions Across Canada program, he has been chosen to represent Quebec and the Montreal Children's Hospital in Ottawa and Orlando, Florida. Sponsored by Wal-Mart, the Champions program recognizes children with illnesses, and rewards the courage of a child in each Canadian province.
Unfortunately, given his current condition and the daily struggle he is undergoing to beat his cancer, Marc can't attend hockey practice or go to school. That worries this honour-roll student, who is part of his school's enriched program. After all, he doesn't want to repeat Grade 8. Thankfully, he won't have to - if he manages to pass his core courses.
That's where the power of technology comes in. Thanks to a high-tech device that is just beginning to appear in schools, Marc will be able to attend classes from his bed in hospital or at home.
One such "telepresence" device, which is manufactured by the Tandberg corporation, is installed by Marc's bedside and the other one is at school.
"So Marc will be able to follow all his classes from home and from hospital," said Marc's father, Pierre Normandeau. "The kids get to see him, and he gets to see them. So he's not losing touch with buddies and friends, which is important at that age."
"There were some technical bugs in the beginning, but I feel it's working pretty well now," said Hans Bulow, principal of Westwood High School's Junior Campus. "The only thing that gets in Marc's way now is his health."
Marc is using the machine to follow the classroom lectures for math, science, English and French. Before his classes start, students in the class greet Marc face to face, thanks to the device's video camera and screen. But the device is usually directed towards the teacher and the blackboard, so Marc can listen and take notes wherever he is.
"We just got a report card last week," Pierre Normandeau said. "He made honour roll again - without even stepping into the school."
The teleconferencing machine helps a lot, Marc says.
"It lifts my spirits," he said. "It's like I'm in the classroom ... but not quite."
Marc is currently undergoing an aggressive round of chemotherapy that will continue throughout the winter months. But this keen athlete is especially eager to get back on his skates.
"I have a really strong interest in hockey," said Marc, who is a veteran goaltender of the Trois Lacs league. "Hopefully, I can get back to that when I finish my five-month phase."
- - -
What Do You Think?
Has someone's act of courage inspired you?
Write and tell us. Send a note, cartoon, even a photograph, as long as it arrives by Friday morning. Feel free to include your own story ideas.
Send email to schools@ thegazette.canwest.com and faxes to (514) 987-2638 c/o schools.
The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
