“We must keep hope”: this is the message that a young Quebecer who is able to fulfill her dream of staying with her family at Walt Disney World next week wants to share after going through difficult times and bravely fighting cancer five years. .
The trip to Orlando, organized as part of the Children’s Wish Foundation’s 40th anniversary, allows 40 Canadian families, including two from Quebec, to visit Walt Disney World for a week without having to worry about the expenses.
Travel enthusiast Rosalie Fortin, 14, said she was impatient to finally be able to “fulfill her dream and explore the world”.
Photo courtesy of Children’s Wish Foundation
At just 18 months old, the Pointe-Calumet girl was diagnosed with leukemia. She spent the next five years receiving treatment at her bedside with her family.
After surviving chemotherapy, losing her hair, and even spending Christmas in the hospital, Rosalie is calling on sick kids to “stay strong and positive.”
Above all, hope
If the teenager is doing much better today, she and her mother are aware that unfortunately this is not the reality of all young people with an illness.
“It was important for us to speak out because there are other parents and other children who will see this and there may be hope that it’s possible to heal and come out of this,” shares his mother, Julie Michelle Laberge , with.
The young girl is optimistic and sees herself as a role model for strength and courage. Despite her embarrassment, she agreed to confide in the young people and send them a message.
“Whatever happens we can always get out of there, we have to stay positive. You should never despair and the most important thing is to stay strong when things aren’t going so well,” stresses Rosalie.
MARTIN ALARIE / MONTREAL JOURNAL
For his mother, this escapade will be the perfect opportunity to put behind a painful episode in her life that was not easy.
“Finally we can move on. Walt Disney, it’s part of his dream and making this journey will allow us to come full circle and start a new chapter,” she says.
A balm for parents
If, for the first time since the foundation’s inception, the journey enables the realization of the dream of 40 children at the same time, it also enables the formation of a community of parents who can support one another.
“The exchanges and discussions between parents will really be an added benefit of the trip,” believes Lauren Donnelly, director of the Children’s Wish Foundation’s Quebec office.
“Even if the illnesses are not the same, the parents all have the same experiences. Whether it’s fear, worry or stress, parents all experience the same emotions,” she adds.
Julie Michelle Laberge agrees.
“It’s important for parents to support each other. In the hospital I made many contacts with parents who felt the same way. There is hope once again as some are still in hospital,” she concluded.
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