Montréal, March 23, 2023 — The Opération Enfant Soleil team was in Montréal today with Annie Brocoli and Maxime Landry to give $6,870,620 to 13 establishments for the realization of several projects that will have an important impact on the care of children across Québec.
A significant contribution was first given to the two major pediatric centres in the region, the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the CHU Sainte-Justine, to support the realization of several projects, including those below, that will further advance specialized pediatric care for children throughout Quebec:
Le Phare, Enfants et Familles, Rivière-des-Prairies Hospital and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital each receive a donation that will enable them to carry out their pediatric projects.
Nine donations from the Opération Enfant Soleil’s Fonds sport et santé durable, aimed at promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles among children through sport, physical activity and healthy eating, as well as fostering emotional and mental wellness, were also awarded. The fund’s beneficiaries are: Association québécoise de sports pour paralytiques cérébraux, Centre Viomax, Défi sportif AlterGo, Initiative communautaire de Yaldei, Institut universitaire en santé mentale Douglas, Montreal’s Children Hospital, Centre de réadaptation Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay, CPE La Grosse maison and Prima Danse.
As part of its 2023 Thank You Tour, Opération Enfant Soleil will make stops in 17 regions to give its contribution to major paediatric centres as well as hospitals and organizations across the province thanks to all the efforts deployed over the past year. These sums will allow various establishments to respond to their needs in a concrete way, as well as support medical teams and offer the best care to our little ones.
“The Thank You Tour is a special moment for Opération Enfant Soleil. This is when our mission takes on its full meaning as we support the realization of more than 110 concrete, promising projects that constantly improve the care provided to children throughout Quebec. We take advantage of the tour to underline the generosity of donors, the commitment of our partners and the dedication of our volunteers because… small miracles don’t happen on their own!”- Jonathan Gendron, CEO of Opération Enfant Soleil.
Wherever we make a stop, we meet the members of healthcare teams who testify to the major impact of Opération Enfant Soleil over time, but who also underline ever-changing needs, which motivate us to continue our mission.
“The extraordinary support of Opération Enfant Soleil allows us to modernize the way we treat and care for our young patients and their families. Sainte-Justine sees many patients from all over Quebec and the modernization of the Centre ambulatoire Opération Enfant Soleil has a major impact on these families.” Catherine Hogue, Assistant Director, Nursing – Operations at CHU Sainte-Justine.
“Opération Enfants Soleil is one of The Montreal Children’s Hospital most cherished partners. We are extremely grateful for Opération Enfant Soleil’s donation which will allow the hospital to expand services in both its Pediatric Sleep Centre of Excellence, one of the busiest clinics in the hospital, and its Eating Disorders Program, which is coping with a dramatic increase in the number of tweens and teens struggling with anorexia and bulimia. Thanks to the support of Opération Enfant Soleil and its generous donors, children with sleep issues and eating disorders will be able to treated more quickly. Your donation is making an enormous difference in the lives of so many of our young patients. We are extremely grateful. Thank you.” said Mme Martine Alfonso, Associate President and Executive Director, McGill University Health Centre.
Mey-Lin Gonson, Montréal’s Enfant Soleil
Opération Enfant Soleil is also using the Thank You Tour to introduce the Quebec population to the 17 Enfants Soleil ambassadors for the cause this year.
The Montreal Enfant Soleil is named Mey-Lin and she is 3 years old. As soon as she is born, Mey-Lin is in distress and must be transferred to the intensive care unit of the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Over the next few weeks, several abnormalities are noted; Mey-Lin’s liver, one of her kidneys and one of her arms are larger than normal. These abnormalities lead geneticists to believe that Beckwith-Wiedmann syndrome, a condition that causes a growth defect and predisposes the child to develop cancerous tumors, is the cause.
The tube feeding, the constant monitoring of Mey-Lin’s blood sugar levels, the pump she has to carry in a small backpack, the painful gel injections she receives every four weeks, the oncology follow-ups because it is necessary to be on the lookout for tumors that may appear, the anxiety that comes with waiting for the results: life is not easy for the little girl and her family. But Mey-Lin is developing well and seems to have adopted her family’s philosophy of moving forward no matter what.
You can discover her story and her family’s during the next Telethon which will take place on June 4 and will be broadcast on TVA.
FUNDED PROJECTS IN MONTRÉAL
To date, $152,162,309 has been donated in the Montréal region to ensure the well-being of children. The contribution of Opération Enfant Soleil is significant, but the projects it supports are even more so. Here is more information on the projects funded this year.
| $3,361,288 donated to Montreal Children’s Hospital
Among many projects, the amount donated will contribute to the creation of the Pediatric Sleep Centre of Excellence that will allow the Montreal Children’s Hospital team to remain at the forefront of providing ultra-specialized and optimized care to children across Québec. Given that one third of normally developing children have difficulty falling or staying asleep (nine out of ten children with developmental disorders), the importance of such a centre is all the greater, to allow as many children as possible to be treated and to further research into this public health issue. The donation will also support the family therapy program for eating disorders. Over the past year, an increasing number of young patients have come to the hospital with eating disorders, some unfortunately in serious physical and psychological conditions. Family therapy has been shown to be the most effective treatment for these disorders. The money donated by Opération Enfant Soleil will allow, among other things, to increase the duration of the therapies, to modify the protocols and to add resources for the patients on the waiting list. A sum of $10,000 is also donated by Opération Enfant Soleil’s Fonds sport et santé durable, which aims to promote and support healthy lifestyle habits among children through sport, physical activity and healthy eating, as well as to foster emotional and mental well-being. This amount will contribute to the music therapy program in child psychiatry, which, among other things, offers calm moments to children and reduces anxiety and stress. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $73,254,561 to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. |
| $3,351,288 donated to CHU Sainte-Justine
This year’s funding will help accelerate the shift to ambulatory care at CHU Sainte-Justine. By enabling the reorganization and modernization of the Centre ambulatoire Opération Enfant Soleil, it will be possible to increase the number of young patients treated, offer a better care experience, and meet the ever-present needs of children. Thanks to this ambulatory shift, young patients from all over Québec will be able to receive adequate care on an outpatient basis, which will avoid, reduce, or shorten hospitalizations and allow them to live their daily lives at home. The Centre ambulatoire Opération Enfant Soleil is helping to achieve the vision of offering human-centered care, while improving the quality and efficiency of the services offered. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $75,132,597 to CHU Sainte-Justine. |
| $19,315 donated to Le Phare, Enfants et Familles
This donation will finance the purchase of a vital signs monitor that will allow the continuous monitoring of the children’s health, as well as three cribs that will ensure the comfort of the infants and facilitate the interventions of the caregiving staff. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $337,883 to Phare, Enfants et Familles. |
| $21,074 donated to Rivière-des-Prairies Hospital
The donation will enable the hospital to purchase additional equipment for the pediatric outpatient centre to provide a welcoming environment for the patients. It will also fund the purchase of equipment for the developmental assessment clinic, which will make it possible to assess and/or stimulate the development of children. This equipment will simplify and improve the teams’ interventions. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $401,628 to this hospital. |
| $60,021 donated to Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital
This donation will fund the purchase of several medical equipment, including four vital signs monitors to track the health of children and six ophthalmoscopes to conduct safe eye examinations for newborns. It will also make it possible to purchase a device called a pediatric blader scan, which will eliminate the need for complex and painful procedures to determine the residual volume of urine in the children’s bladders. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $511,769 to the hospital. |
In addition to offering the best care to children in hospitals throughout Québec, Opération Enfant Soleil also promotes and supports healthy lifestyles for children through sports, physical activity, healthy eating and fosters emotional and mental well-being. The next donations will be made through a fund dedicated to this purpose, the Opération Enfant Soleil’s Fonds sport et santé durable, which will allow the realization of various projects submitted by organizations in the region.
| $2,500 donated to the Association québécoise de sports pour paralytiques cérébraux (AQSPC)
This donation will fund the purchase of four transport cases for ramps, allowing schools and rehabilitation centres to involve young athletes in sports adapted to their medical condition. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $25,220 to the AQSPC. |
| $1,800 donated to the Centre Viomax
This donation will fund the purchase of a set of foam blocks. The use of this type of shape allows the development and improvement of motor skills through the concepts of movement, stability, locomotion and manipulation. The practice of adapted activities allows the development of creativity in all children. Thanks to this donation, it will be possible to invent adapted games for children with physical limitations and to encourage them to surpass themselves. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $54,329 to this organization. |
| $11,295 donated to Défi sportif AlterGo
This donation will finance the purchase of four basketball wheelchairs to introduce young people to this sport. They will be used during initiation activities that will take place in several regions of Québec. In addition, the amount donated will finance the purchase of a para hockey sled. This will allow many children to discover a new sport. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $47,105 to this organization. |
| $5,659 donated to the Initiative communautaire de Yaldei
This money will fund the purchase of a Rompa illuminated ball pool that will stimulate visual, tactile and auditory perception in children with autism spectrum disorder, or with mild to severe or profound intellectual disabilities. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $26,535 to this organization. |
| $12,115 donated to the Institut universitaire en santé mentale Douglas
In addition to financing the purchase of collaborative games and art therapy projects, this donation will contribute to the creation of a multi-sensory room that will help stimulate motor skills and develop the children’s self-confidence. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $104,455 to this institute. |
| $3,000 donated to the CPE La Grosse maison
This donation will allow several members of the team to attend the Enfant Nature training, which provides essential tools for children to connect with nature. In addition, the donation will fund the purchase of four sets of educational material designed to stimulate children’s reasoning and fine motor skills. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $5,043 to this daycare. |
| $1,265 donated to Prima Danse
This donation will fund the purchase of several agility tools for the creation of danced journeys. Prima Danse’s approach of cooperative exercises and body exploration allows youth to develop positive and healthy mental and physical health. The exercises chosen help reduce anxiety, build social bonds between youth, channel their energy and manage their emotions through music, rhythm and non-verbal language. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $6,980 to this organization. |
| $20,000 donated to the Centre de réadaptation Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay
This donation will be given as a lump sum to help purchase an inclusive play module with ample space for children in wheelchairs. The children who play in this unit face the centre, making it easy for them to share smiles, laughter and conversation. This play structure allows for an inclusive experience for all children. To date, Opération Enfant Soleil has donated $138,592 to this centre. |
Opération Enfant Soleil: all together for children’s well-being in Quebec
Unifying Quebecers around the cause of sick children, Opération Enfant Soleil supports initiatives for their healing throughout the province. Over the past 36 years, more than $302 million has been donated through the generosity of partners, volunteers and donors. Thanks to this contribution, around a hundred projects take shape each year in regional hospitals as well as in major paediatric centres: acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment adapted to the size of children; design of comfortable and optimal care environments; proximity of care, close to home and the family; innovative research projects, to further push boundaries. Sums are also donated to organizations each year for prevention-related projects thanks to the Fonds sport et santé durable.
To discover all the great and small miracles that your generosity will contribute to this year throughout the province of Quebec, visit https://projetsfinances.operationenfantsoleil.ca