Three wonderful years! And three years nothing short of a miracle!
The story of a resident of Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil in Montérégie, José Choquette, 61 years old today, embodies hope and resilience.
After working for Canada Post for over 30 years, where he started his career as a letter carrier and was prized by his colleagues for his speed because he always managed to finish his workday by noon, took his well-earned retirement at the age of 54. But his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Three years ago, José started to experience worrisome symptoms. He was unable to ingest anything. After several medical tests, his symptoms were identified as signs of stomach cancer. He had apparently been suffering from celiac disease for 15 years without knowing it. Since he had never had any symptoms until then, this diagnosis came as a shock, not to mention being told that he had a very aggressive and inoperable form of cancer. Then, two years ago, the doctors advised him to spend as much time as possible with his family because he only had one or two months left to live.
Determined to make it to the age of 65 so he could get his first government pension cheque (clearly a joke!), José, who loves to make people laugh and has always had a sunny disposition, defied all the prognoses. He is still continuing his treatment. Chemo every 15 days. Scans every three months. His tumour had not budged since.
The support of a huge community!
Well-surrounded by his family, friends and the Hospital team, José’s battle with cancer has largely been supported by an invisible community.
A community of generous donors who are passionate and engaged in the health of their community through the Foundation.
The Foundation continues to promote excellence in care at Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne, and in particular, ultraspecialized cancer treatment to ensure that stories like José’s are not exceptions.
José Choquette, with his steadfast optimism and contagious laughter, is a testament to the fact that the fight against cancer is hard, but not insurmountable. This testimonial is a tribute to his struggle and his current victory against this illness. He cares deeply about raising the public’s awareness about celiac disease and the importance of early detection, and wants to inspire other cancer patients to never lose hope.
