Young fighter to take on 24h Tremblant

Nine-year-old Ève-Marie Nicole has been enjoying some special moments these days as she finds herself among the sponsored children waiting for the 17th annual 24h Tremblant, which will take place this year from December 8th to the 10th. The young girl from Godmanchester, who has been battling a brain tumour since she was diagnosed at the age of three, recently took part in the official launch for the charity event on October 13th in Montreal. “It’s really fun to be one of the sponsored kids, there are lots of activities, there’s a lot of action and I like that,” says the grade four student at Heritage School. The 24h Tremblant is an athletic challenge during which teams of six to twelve participants take turns over 24 hours taking part in one of three events: skiing, walking or running. To date, 326 teams have registered to raise funds for three foundations, including the Charles Bruneau Foun-dation, to which Ève-Marie is associated. [caption id="attachment_41439" align="alignnone" width="521"] Ève-Marie Nicole and her mother, Martine Laberge, are proud to be contributing to the 24h Tremblant.[/caption] Not shy, she plays her role perfectly. In particular, she was selected to be a part of a promotional report filmed in a tattoo parlour - what she would like to be when she grows up - and for an ad-vertisement now playing on the radio. A tumour that won’t go away However, behind this “joie de vivre” remains her unfortunate diagnosis with a hypothalamic/chiasmatic brain tumour, for which Ève-Marie has been regularly monitored since 2011 at the Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal. It was in fact through her pivot nurse, Marie-Hélène, that she was put in touch with the 24h Tremblant organization. For her mother, Martine Laberge, this represented an excellent way to give back for all of the services and support they have received in recent years. Since 2011, Ève-Marie has been through surgeries, chemotherapy treatments, research proto-cols, medication, injections, and even hospitalization following a stroke, which ended happily without any consequences. She has lost the use of one eye however as a result of the tumour. [caption id="attachment_41440" align="alignnone" width="521"] Ève Marie can count on the support of her younger twin sisters, Justine and Malorie.[/caption] For nearly a year, Ève-Marie’s health has been relatively stable, thanks to targeted chemothera-py treatment, which involves two pills per day. “The tumour is under control, at around 3 cm by 4 cm, but we do not know the effects of long-term treatment,” says Laberge. “She is being closely monitored by a whole team of specialists.” It is in this context that research becomes very important and where fundraising activities like the 24h Tremblant are indispensable. “The research allows us to gain time in order to find new drugs, both for Ève-Marie and all the other children we see in the hospital,” says Martine Laberge. It is possible to make a donation by way of the event website: www.24htremblant.com. What is the 24h Tremblant? - An athletic challenge where teams of sic to twelve participants take turns over 24 hours either skiing, walking or running. - 326 teams are registered so far - More than $24 million has been raised over 16 years - There are more than 25,000 donors annually - A weekend of activities with events and shows, including A Simple Plan - A team of well-known Quebecois ambassadors including: Benoit Gagnon, Philippe Fehmiu, Anne-Marie Withenshaw, Erik Guay, Lianne Laing, Stuntman Stu, Alexandre Bilodeau, Ale-xandre Despatie, Dominic Arpin and Frédéric Plante. Translated by Sarah Rennie