Take Action / Chain of Life Challenge
Take on the Chain of Life Challenge at mont Orford!
Support the Guay-Desbiens family, our flag bearers representing donor families in the Estrie region. Donate to the region, form a team or join them for the climb as a gesture of solidarity in support of organ and tissue donation education in schools.
It's a date on Sunday, October 15, 2023
4380, chemin du Parc
Orford (Québec) J1X 7N9
Flag bearer
Denyse Guay
A tall, handsome 18-year-old, proud and confident about his future. The pitfalls of adolescence behind him, he envisaged a bright future with his girlfriend, his studies and his job. He was returning from spring break at his father's home in Rouyn-Noranda.
On March 8, 2003 at 7:30 p.m., his last words to me on the phone were: See you soon, my family. I love you.
At 7:35 p.m., he was in an ambulance on his way to the Mont-Laurier hospital where he was reanimated three times. The police report mentioned one death, his.
At 12:40 p.m., I arrived at Sacré-Coeur hospital with his girlfriend and my boyfriend. We had to wait until 4.30 a.m. to see the doctor. When he finally comes to see us, he only talks to my boyfriend; not a single glance at me, not one. The verdict: major head trauma, we'll be able to see him soon.
5 a.m., we're finally at your side! Wired all over: pneumothorax, some minor pelvic fractures, major head trauma; they'll keep you in a coma. Explanations received, we'll have to wait…
Three days: survival.
Three weeks: vital functions.
Three months: permanent damage.
A nurse calls his name, he tries to get up, but she knows he won't wake up again.
At 5 a.m. on March 10, his blood pressure keeps on sky-rocketing: there's no going back to normal… We'd never talked about organ donation, and Alexandre hadn't signed his card. The doctor approaches me and asks, "Have you thought about...? He didn't have time to finish his sentence before I replied, "Yes, to organ donation." I then realize that his father also has his say. He's reluctant because if he doesn't have his organs any more, he'll never be able to come back to life again. His accountant father, rational and down-to-earth, still has difficulty accepting what is happening and hopes that he will open his eyes again. I tell him that if it's possible to come back after death, having his organs replaced won't be a problem. His father finally agrees.
We meet with the nurse from Transplant Québec, she explains the procedure and we fill in the donation form, specifying the organs that can be taken. She tells us that Alexandre will be transferred to Notre-Dame Hospital for the transplant, as it's a holiday at Sacré-Coeur. But for me, it's here or nowhere. So she scrambles to find a surgical team, an operating room and the necessary staff.
By 1:30 p.m., it's confirmed: it will be done at Sacré-Cœur. We leave Alexandre's bedside and ask to be kept informed every step of the way. At 7:30 a.m., his heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and retinas are removed, and the transplant can be performed.
I cry softly. Eight people will have a second chance at life or a life changed forever. They will be able to live, or live better, and have children of their own. In a way, that's kind of what eternity is about.
Several years later, Alexandre is still very present in my heart. Taking up the Chain of Life Challenge today is an opportunity to honour the memory of an extraordinary young man who was loved by all. It's also a good time to remember how important it is to discuss organ and tissue donation as a family because you never know what life has in store. I invite you to come out in force on October 15 and climb Mount Orford with me.
Denyse Guay, mother of Alexandre Guay-Desbiens
The Key Links in the Chain of Life
The key links in the chain of life are doctors, nurses, transplant recipients, donor families, teachers, students, distinguished climbers, public figures and many others... who join forces to create a movement uniting all those touched directly or indirectly by organ and tissue donation.
The day of the event
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For the Challenge, you will need to bring warm clothes, a snack and water.
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In case of bad weather, please consult the Facebook event for the Estrie region for details.
9:30
Arrival time for participants
10:00
Opening Words
10:15
Start of the climb
11:30
Photo at the top
12:00
End of the event
Audrée Descheneaux
Team: 20 ans ensemble!
David Blyth
Team: 20 ans ensemble!
Olivia Blyth
Team: 20 ans ensemble!
Sara Blyth
Team: 20 ans ensemble!
Ann Blyth
Team: 20 ans ensemble!
Denyse Guay
Team: Guay-Desbiens
Michel Bilodeau
Team: Guay-Desbiens
Émile Guay-Desbiens
Team: Guay-Desbiens
Louise Guay
Team: Guay-Desbiens
Chantal Lecourt
Team: Guay-Desbiens
marc st-jean
Team: Guay-Desbiens
Marie Bureau
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Celine Bureau
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Hélène Massé
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Marie-Hélène Turcotte
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Catherine Dubé
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Mariette Lavigne
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Emilie Doucet
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Suzanne Comtois
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Jean Luc Huppé
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Michèle Heon
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Louise Leblanc
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Mario Soulard
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Louise Delisle
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Jacques Vigneault
Team: Les greffés à Marie
Sabrina Charest-Prévost
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Ahmed Kouider
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Bianca Girouard
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Tobie Desgreniers
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Liming Gendron
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Gabrielle Monast
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Saskia Prévost
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Tanya Vinet
Team: Les écoeurant.es
Michel Leclerc
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Isabelle Decubber
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Olivier Langlois
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Maryse Labrecque
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Viviane Langlois
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Delphine Langlois
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Gabriel Leclerc
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Katerine Leclerc
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Simon Poulin
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Raphaël Poulin
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Léonard Poulin
Team: Pic de L'Ours
Nathalie Langelier
Team: Team Memphré
Marie Pelletier
Team: Team Memphré
martin legare
Team: Team Memphré
Geneviève Gagné
Team: Team Memphré
Aude Charlebois
Team: Team Memphré
Zoé Charlebois
Team: Team Memphré
Steeve Pelletier
Team: Team Memphré
Anne Côté
Team: Team Memphré
Sylvain Côté
Team: Team Memphré
Yves Berthiaume
Team: Verbom
Yves Berthiaume
Team: Verbom
Sylvie Martel
Team: Verbom
Émilie Marcotte
Team: Verbom
Vincent Berthiaume
Team: Verbom
Francine Castilloux
Team: No team
Celine Labbé
Team: No team
Team: No team
Marie-Pierre Guay-Desbiens
Team: No team
Claude Higgins
Team: No team
Martine Audet
Team: No team
Alexie-Ann Lachapelle
Team: No team
Manon Ouellet
Team: No team
Luc Ouellet
Team: No team
Karol Sauvé
Team: No team
Sylvie Matteau
Team: No team
Francine Paquet
Team: No team
Jacques Blain
Team: No team
Francine Castilloux
5 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Marie Bureau
5 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Martin Bureau
5 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
« Bravo Marie pour ton implication. Denise et Martin »
Michel Leclerc
5 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Pic de L'Ours
Isabelle Decubber
5 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Pic de L'Ours
Denyse Guay
5 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Celine Bureau
5 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Yves Bouchard
5 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
« Bravo ! Denise ! 🌹🌹🌹🌹 »
Hélène Massé
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Olivier Langlois
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Pic de L'Ours
Marie-Hélène Turcotte
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Catherine Dubé
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Mariette Lavigne
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Benjamin Lussier
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $150 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Emilie Doucet
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Suzanne Comtois
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Myriam Turcotte
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Celine Labbé
5 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Geneviève Bergeron
5 months agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Luce Veilleux
5 months agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Jean Luc Huppé
5 months agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Michel Bilodeau
4 months 4 weeks agomade a donation of $200 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Michèle Heon
4 months 4 weeks agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Louise Leblanc
4 months 4 weeks agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Audrée Descheneaux
4 months 4 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: 20 ans ensemble!
Mario Goupil
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Stephanie Cunningham
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Sabrina Charest-Prévost
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $180 to the team: Les écoeurant.es
Andree Roy
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Team Memphré
Alexandra Turcotte-Provost
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $20 to the team: Les écoeurant.es
Pascale Hamel
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Les écoeurant.es
Louise Delisle
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Yves Berthiaume
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Verbom
Patrick Cloutier
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $500 to the team: Verbom
« Félicitations pour votre implication ! »
Marie Pelletier
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Team Memphré
martin legare
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Team Memphré
Michel Bilodeau
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Émile Guay-Desbiens
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Geneviève Gagné
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Team Memphré
Louis Villeneuve
4 months 3 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Georgia Le Moine Anquetil
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Steeve Pelletier
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Team Memphré
Michele Lafond
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Tanya Vinet
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Les écoeurant.es
4 months 2 weeks ago
made a donation of $30 to the region
Marie-Pierre Guay-Desbiens
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Louise Guay
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Danielle Lanctôt
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Tatiana Contreras
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Serge Nadeau
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $200 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Claudie Séguin
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Team Memphré
« Bravo pour votre grande contribution et je vous souhaite toute la force et le courage de bien relever ce beau défi. »
Claude Higgins
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Agnès Alder
4 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
Johanne Gauvin
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Martine Audet
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Manon Ouellet
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $60 to the region
Chantal Lecourt
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Gabriel Leclerc
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Pic de L'Ours
Katerine Leclerc
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Pic de L'Ours
Stephanie Perreauit
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
« Je suis avec vous en pensée! »
Karol Sauvé
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Sylvie Matteau
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $30 to the region
Anne Côté
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $60 to the team: Team Memphré
Francine Paquet
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $60 to the region
Bernadette Bérubé
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $50 to the team: Pic de L'Ours
anonyme anonyme
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $5 to the team: Les écoeurant.es
Michelle Champagne
4 months 1 week agomade a donation of $25 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Marlène Guay
4 months agomade a donation of $30 to the team: Guay-Desbiens
Marie Bureau
3 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $95 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
« Chèque de $95 reçu de Marie Bureau, encaissé le 12 novembre »
Manon Gingues
3 months 2 weeks agomade a donation of $100 to the team: Les greffés à Marie
« Chèque de $100 reçu de Mme Manon Gingues (pas d'adresse ni aucune coordonnées fournies) »
Soutien à l'action bénévole Estrie - don de la députée de Saint-François
3 months 1 week agomade a donation of $250 to the region
« Estrie, Soutien à l'action bénévole, CHÈQUE DE $250 encaissé le 12 novembre, 2023 »
Distinguished Climber
Bernard Maillot
Over the years I have climbed some very high peaks like Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc and even volcanoes like Mount Hekla and Cotopaxi, but in my opinion it doesn't really take courage to want to conquer all these mountains; I see it more as a strength of character and a challenge to take on.
For me, true courage is signing your donor card and sharing your wishes with those close to you. True courage is also accepting to become a living donor to help someone regain their health and a better quality of life.
Come and climb Mount Gleason with me on October 14 as a gesture of solidarity for the cause of organ and tissue donation!
Come and climb to support Chain of Life and to celebrate life and pay tribute to living donors!
I look forward to seeing you there!
Michel Careau
Helicopter pilot and guide for agencies and the Alpine Club of Canada
Mountain Climbing and Waiting for a Transplant: What a Parallel!
Participants in the Chain of Life Challenge carry the flag to the top of a mountain in their region.
Waiting for a transplant is a bit like climbing a mountain. Both require preparation, fortitude, determination, perseverance and, most of all, support — the climber needs strong climbing partners and the person waiting for an organ needs a reliable support network. Both are real challenges. This is why the mountain has become one of the symbols associated with Chain of Life.
By planting the Chain of Life flag at the top of a mountain, we are not only showing our solidarity for organ and tissue donation, but we are also helping send a message of hope to all those waiting for a transplant in Quebec and elsewhere.
Thank you to our partners!
