Today the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation announced a historic $40-million gift from Diane Blais and Michel Lanteigne. It is the largest hospitable donation ever given in the province.
According to a press release from the Montreal hospital, the gift will primarily be used to fund pediatric oncology research.
Benoit Lanteigne, Michel Lanteigne’s son, passed away from leukemia at the age of eight in 1989. A portion of the recent donation, made in his memory, will create the Innovative Oncology and Hematology Treatment Development Fund. In recognition of this contribution, the Specialized Care Building at the CHU Sainte-Justine will also be renamed in honour of Lanteigne’s son.
“A lot of careful, deliberate thought went into choosing Sainte-Justine as the recipient of this donation,” said Blais and Lanteigne in a statement. “It was a decision we made both with our heads, given the scientific excellence the institution is known for, and with our hearts, because we saw in this team a genuine conviction and tremendous sense of humanity.”
The couple says they “hope and expect that the outcomes will rapidly benefit families with a child who is battling cancer,” adding that they want to see results in their lifetime and that they believe “this is the team that can make it happen.”
As of now, the survival rate for children with cancer is just over 80%. Every year, nearly 350 Quebec children are diagnosed with a form of cancer.
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