Take on the Chain of Life Challenge at mont Bellevue!

Hi,
In April 2021, at the age of 28, I received the greatest gift of all: a new heart. This transplant gave me my life back and the priceless joy of watching my young children grow up.

I agreed to serve as a flag-bearer for the 2026 Chain of Life Challenge in the Estrie region because, beyond my own story, I deeply believe in the importance of this organization’s mission. After attending Chain of Life’s training sessions, I came away with a profound conviction: education is the most powerful way to raise awareness across an entire population.

By bringing its program directly into our high schools, Chain of Life teaches young people about organ and tissue donation and encourages them to discuss it openly with their families. Educating young people means helping them become informed citizens, breaking down taboos and ensuring that everyone can make an informed decision about organ donation.

Every person who says yes to organ donation—yes to life—offers a second chance to someone like me. Together, let us support this vital educational mission.

Thank you for participating in large numbers or for making a donation to my team or our region.

Together, let’s climb with heart for the cause!

Marc-André Parent
Heart transplant recipient

The mountain is a challenge, but it's a challenge we've chosen!
This choice calls for meticulous, long-term preparation if we are to reach the summit. However, the summit isn't always possible; there are variables beyond our control. But what we can do, we must do; nobody can do it for us.

What belongs to the climber:

• The will, the desire to outperform, perseverance in doing physical exercise and the patience needed to learn climbing techniques.
• The desire to work as part of a team and to be a good player, thinking of what's best for the group, being a good leader... or a good follower.

Once the preparations are behind you, it's off to the start. The mountain is not a 100 m. sprint; it's a marathon that takes several days to complete, depending on the altitude. The higher it is, the longer it takes, and sometimes you have to retreat (go back down) in order to advance (what we call altitude levels).

Can we draw a parallel with organ recipients? Certainly. 
However, illness is not a choice; it slams into us like a bulldozer! It takes us by surprise, and so do mountains... with unstable weather and devious crevasses. Illness is certainly not a sprint, but rather a marathon that sometimes lasts for several years. It's also surrounded by a team of specialists of all kinds: doctors and nurses for the physical aspect and dad, mom, siblings, grandparents and friends, who are all part of the moral support that's needed during “the long run.”

Anyone waiting for a transplant waits with hope, just as anyone starting out on a mountain hopes to reach the summit. Hope is what keeps us all going... Otherwise, we'd all be lying down...

Walking together today for Chain of Life is a source of hope. Life is what unites us today.