The gesture of a donor guided by gratitude.
When Pierrette Paquin walks through the Hospital doors, it is not just any place she is returning to. She knows these hallways by heart. It is a place filled with years of struggle, uncertainty… and humanity. Yet that morning, something stirs within her. “Coming here made me feel something,” she says softly.
She sits down, tells her story, and remembers. Speaking about Claude is a way of still being with him.
“Every time we left here, we felt reassured,” she says gently. “We knew he had been well cared for.”
Pierrette and Claude were inseparable. “We didn’t need friends… we were happy together.” Around her neck, she carefully wears a heart-shaped pendant. Inside is a photo from their wedding… and part of his ashes. “He is always with me.”
Claude, a former CN first responder, was known for his kindness and calm demeanor. “He was a good man. Never impatient. He never complained.” Even through illness, he kept that quiet strength. That resilience impressed everyone who crossed his path.
Today, at 80 years old, Pierrette is making a meaningful, thoughtful, and deeply human gesture. She is making a planned gift in honour of her husband, Claude Paquin, who passed away on January 11, 2025, after 56 years of marriage.
She chooses to give as a way of saying thank you. For nearly twenty years, Claude received treatment for several cancers and other medical conditions. Frequent visits to the Hospital. Demanding treatments. Moments of fear and uncertainty. Yet the quality of care was always there. At Hôpital Charles Le Moyne, everyone knew him. “The staff knew him and always took the time.”
For Pierrette, that dedication left a lasting mark on their lives. Beyond medical care, she remembers the warmth, attentiveness, and dignity they experienced. Even while Claude was alive, the couple carried out this deep sense of gratitude. Every year, they made donations to the Foundation.
After Claude’s passing, that wish became a commitment. Claude used to say simply, “It should go to the Hospital that took care of me.”
Pierrette took the time to do things carefully and with all her heart. She prepared her will and chose to include a significant gift to the Fondation Hôpital Charles-LeMoyne.
Her contribution will take the form of a life insurance policy as well as a percentage of her estate. She even wishes for the gift to be irrevocable. A firm and deliberate gesture, reflecting the depth of her gratitude.
She devoted her life to her husband, to their daily life together, and to caring for others. “We didn’t have children. But we had a beautiful life.” For Pierrette, this gesture is a continuation of love.
It’s important to me that this is clear. I want it to go back to the Hospital. It’s in recognition of the excellent care Claude received here from the entire staff. I know he is saying thank you from where he is.
Claude spent the final weeks of his life at home, receiving palliative care for fifteen weeks. Pierrette had one clear wish: “I wanted him to be here, in our home.”
Today, she has chosen to give back in another way, so that others may also benefit from the care that meant so much to them.
Her gift is focused on the future — to improve, facilitate, and further humanize care for future generations.
“We are missing a PET scanner here. He had to go elsewhere three times for scans. It makes no sense. Claude even had to drive all the way to Sherbrooke during a snowstorm for an exam.”
Since Claude’s passing, daily life has changed. Pierrette moves forward in her own way, carefully, yet with remarkable vitality and a playful smile. She speaks about Claude as though their story continues in another form. “I would do it all over again.”
In her words, in her actions, and in the gift she is preparing, their love lives on.
