I had the chance to meet Lucie Dumont, founding president of Chaîne de vie, when I was in Secondary IV at l'École du Rivière-du-Loup. At that time, I had no idea that that was going to have a tremendous influence on my life. My classmates and I were fortunate to receive the Chain of Life organ donation education program. Because of it, I discussed my wishes regarding organ donation with my family and when I was 16, I signed the back of my health insurance card for organ donation.

While doing the Chain of Life program, my curiosity was aroused by the link between mountains, health and organ donation, but it wasn't until a few years later that I understood it. It was when I felt the exhilaration of being at the peak of a mountain. I was on top of Mount Haleakalã on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. It’s crazy the energy that flows through your body when reaching a mountain peak. It made me realize just how lucky I was to be able to undertake expeditions like that because I was in good health.

A few days after returning to Quebec, I ran into Lucie by pure chance and told her about my adventure. She shared the latest developments of Chain of Life and that's when I decided to become a proud ambassador for this cause. A few weeks after this meeting, I carried the Chain of Life flag to the top of Mount Washington, and a year later, to the top of Mount Pelée in Martinique. In the future, several more mountain peaks will be added to this list and I will make the Chain of Life flag my proud traveling companion, with the goal of promoting organ donation and health and wellness wherever I go!

At the time of writing this, I am in the process of completing my master's degree in organizational development at HEC Montreal. I'm specializing in occupational health and the quality of life at the workplace. Wellness is therefore part of my daily life and thanks to Chaine de vie, it has become even more so! I regularly see people who have received transplants and I have never seen people embrace life more and cherish their health as much as they do. They have become a great source of inspiration for me and make me appreciate life even more. For me, carrying the flag to the top of a mountain is a gesture of solidarity with all those awaiting a transplant and a climb for health and wellness!

Frédéric Boucher

Is there anything more precious to man than health?