A man from Lévis has become a true model of resilience and courage. Suffering from aggressive brain cancer, he will take advantage of a brief respite from treatment to run 10 kilometers this Saturday for the benefit of neurosurgery research.
Jacques Boutin, 60 years old, is a great sportsman. A fan of marathons and hiking challenges, he also goes to work by bike all year round. In exemplary form, the sixty-year-old was far from suspecting that the biggest challenge of his life would rear its head last July and that it was not wearing espadrilles that he would manage to overcome it.
“There were no warning signs. Same as just before [d’apprendre pour le cancer]we went to do some hiking in Vermont, he lets it go. Around July 11, I started having toothache. It gave me a headache.”
Surrounded by health professionals and working as a cabinetmaker and locksmith at the Hôtel-Dieu-de-Lévis, the runner quickly understood that he was not just suffering from a simple toothache.
Other symptoms appeared, such as difficulty speaking, a curling hand, vomiting and difficulty walking. The doctor told him on July 14 that he had a brain tumor.
“It’s a massive blow,” continues Mr. Boutin. When it happened, I wanted to give meaning to this event and transpose it in a positive way,” he says.
Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
The mass was removed five days later. Although the operation went well, Mr. Boutin is not out of the woods yet. But a tumor isn’t going to stop this resilient man.
“I was registered for the Quebec City Marathon last weekend. But a doctor strongly recommended me not to do it. So my daughters organized a home race for me. Instead of a 42 km, it will be a 10 km,” he says proudly.
A race with family and friends
This challenge will be held this Saturday, just before undertaking a six-month chemotherapy protocol, starting Monday. A month ago, he had just completed a six-week cycle of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Mr. Boutin hopes to help match the love he has received since fighting cancer. His race is used for a fundraiser launched on September 19 and which will go to the cause of neurosurgery of the Quebec University Hospital Foundation. More than $6,000 was raised and donations will be collected until October 26.
This is the same cause supported by the Kilimanjaro Challenge, in which Mr. Boutin has already taken part.
“We’re going to do it again every year, we’re going to give ourselves this challenge,” he promises.
Nothing seems to stop this man, he who is already registered for the Quebec Marathon next year.
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