{"id":5704,"date":"2026-05-14T08:46:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/?post_type=gens-de-coeur&p=5704"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:29:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:29:30","slug":"a-legacy-from-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"gens-de-coeur","link":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/take-action\/people-of-heart\/a-legacy-from-the-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"A legacy from the heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The gesture of a donor guided by gratitude.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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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\u2026 and humanity. Yet that morning, something stirs within her. \u201cComing here made me feel something,\u201d she says softly.<\/p>\n

She sits down, tells her story, and remembers. Speaking about Claude is a way of still being with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time we left here, we felt reassured,\u201d she says gently. \u201cWe knew he had been well cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pierrette and Claude were inseparable. \u201cWe didn\u2019t need friends\u2026 we were happy together.\u201d Around her neck, she carefully wears a heart-shaped pendant. Inside is a photo from their wedding\u2026 and part of his ashes. \u201cHe is always with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claude, a former CN first responder, was known for his kindness and calm demeanor. \u201cHe was a good man. Never impatient. He never complained.\u201d Even through illness, he kept that quiet strength. That resilience impressed everyone who crossed his path.<\/p>\n

Today, at 80 years old, Pierrette is making a meaningful, thoughtful, and deeply human gesture.<\/strong> She is making a planned gift<\/a> in honour of her husband, Claude Paquin, who passed away on January 11, 2025, after 56 years of marriage.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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She chooses to give as a way of saying thank you.<\/strong> 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 H\u00f4pital Charles Le Moyne, everyone knew him. \u201cThe staff knew him and always took the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong> Every year, they made donations to the Foundation.<\/p>\n

After Claude\u2019s passing, that wish became a commitment. Claude used to say simply, \u201cIt should go to the Hospital that took care of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 H\u00f4pital Charles-LeMoyne.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She devoted her life to her husband, to their daily life together, and to caring for others. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have children. But we had a beautiful life.\u201d For Pierrette, this gesture is a continuation of love.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s important to me that this is clear. I want it to go back to the Hospital. It\u2019s in recognition of the excellent care Claude received here from the entire staff. I know he is saying thank you from where he is.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Claude spent the final weeks of his life at home, receiving palliative care for fifteen weeks. Pierrette had one clear wish: \u201cI wanted him to be here, in our home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Her gift is focused on the future \u2014 to improve, facilitate, and further humanize care for future generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Claude\u2019s 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. \u201cI would do it all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her words, in her actions, and in the gift she is preparing, their love lives on.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s important to me that this is clear. I want it to go back to the Hospital. It\u2019s in recognition of the excellent care Claude received here from the entire staff. I know he is saying thank you from where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5706,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-5704","gens-de-coeur","type-gens-de-coeur","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gens-de-coeur\/5704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gens-de-coeur"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/gens-de-coeur"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gens-de-coeur\/5704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhclm.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}