MONTRÉAL, Aug. 24, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ – Patients and staff at CHU Sainte-Justine were delighted to receive a very special guest today: singer Céline Dion!
As a lifetime patron of CHU Sainte-Justine, Céline Dion was involved in two major fundraising campaigns for the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation: “Growing Up Healthy” in 2002 and “Healing More, Healing Better,” which is still under way. The money raised was used to build the Research Centre and the Specialized Units Building, which Céline Dion got to visit today for the very first time. Patients, their families and staff from the intensive care, neonatal and paediatric surgery units welcomed her with open arms and gave her a tour of these new facilities, where care innovation and humanization are in perfect harmony. Céline Dion got to meet five-year-old Maélie, who has been living with a Berlin heart for the last five months as she waits for a heart transplant; three-week-old twins Stella and Naomie, who were born at 33 weeks; one-week-old Olivia, who was born at 24 weeks; and 11-year-old Malik, who is suffering from a mutation in the MUNC gene and malabsorption, a rare condition of the digestive system.
“Nobody really wants to come to the hospital, but if we are face with an unexpected adversity, there’s no better place to be than Sainte-Justine“, said Céline Dion.
“We take great pride in having Céline Dion as our lifetime patron. Her outstanding generosity touches everyone in the Sainte-Justine extended family. Through her role and desire to see more children heal better, she is an inspiration to all of our teams to go the extra mile,” said Maud Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation. “She contributes to the achievement of our constant and complete mission to excel and innovate in order to transform our patients’ lives,” she concluded, thanking Céline Dion for her presence and her honourable engagement to CHU Sainte-Justine.
“We were very pleased to welcome Céline Dion, who embodies the very essence of our establishment, “the house of life,” where humanity and innovation are at the service of mothers and children in Québec,” said Dr. Fabrice Brunet, President and Chief Executive Officer of CHU Sainte-Justine.
René Angélil was also a lifetime patron. As such, the couple wanted to spread hope to mothers and children in Québec. Céline Dion is committed to continuing with this mission.
Photo gallery of the visit available here.
Credits: © Olivier Samson Arcand / OSA / Feeling
About CHU Sainte-Justine
The Sainte-Justine university hospital centre (CHU Sainte-Justine) is the largest mother-child centre in Canada and the second largest pediatric hospital in North America. A member of the Université de Montréal extended network of excellence in health (RUIS), Sainte-Justine has 5,457 employees, including 1,532 nurses and nursing assistants; 1,000 other healthcare professionals; 520 physicians, dentists and pharmacists; 822 residents; and 204 researchers, 411 volunteers and 4,416 interns and students in a wide range of disciplines. Sainte-Justine has 484 beds, including 67 at the Centre de réadaptation Marie Enfant, the only exclusively pediatric rehabilitation centre in Quebec. The World Health Organization has recognized CHU Sainte-Justine as a “health promoting hospital.” chusj.org
About the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation
The Foundation’s mission is to engage the community and support CHU Sainte-Justine in its commitment to developing better ways to heal more children in Quebec and provide them with one of the highest levels of healthcare in the world.
www.fondation-sainte-justine.org.
SOURCE CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation
CONTACT: Mélanie Dallaire, Executive advisor – External communications, CHU Sainte-Justine, 514-345-7707 (direct line), 514-415-5727 (pager), melanie.dallaire.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
RELATED LINKS
www.fondation-sainte-justine.org/fr/
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