When he was told he had prostate cancer, François Leclerc couldn’t believe it. No symptoms. Nothing visible. Just an abnormal number in his blood work. He was hit hard by the diagnosis.
I was totally crushed. It destroyed me mentally.
But very soon, he was in the care of the team of the Centre intégré de cancérologie de la Montérégie Montbretia at Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne. That’s when he was overcome by emotion.
“I was treated like a king. At each step, I felt their deep commitment to cure me.”
What he remembers most: the day Dr. Wakil, his oncologist, held out his hand and said:
“I know exactly what to do to cure you.”
A statement that warmed his heart, brought relief and, especially, brought comfort. Two years later, he was able to say thank you… and give him a hug.
Every day during his treatment, François, dressed in his gown, would look out the two windows in the waiting room.
What did he see?
“A black hole. Ugliness. A view that looked like death.”
That’s when he got the idea to do something about it.
Create beauty. Offer hope. Leave a mark.
In summer 2024, his plan came to fruition: to transform two vacant outdoor spaces into something soothing, luminous and meaningful.
Spaces designed for patients. But also for the Hospital teams.
“Patients see COURAGE and HOPEESPOIR (hope).
Staff sees GRATITUDEMERCI. It was important to me.”
Every detail was well thought out:
Stainless steel for permanence.
A neutral colour, to represent all the different forms of cancer.
Durable, simple and noble materials.
A laser-cut cancer ribbon set on a metal structure, which he created himself in his workshop.
Now in remission, François returns every month to maintain his installations.
And he’s mandated his loved ones to pursue his commitment after he’s gone.
“It’s my legacy. My challenge. The medical team found a way to cure me. And I found a way to provide a little beauty. And time.”
François, his loved ones and his colleagues all worked together on this project.
See how these spaces were created in a video by François.
