From his basement, Louis Sansfaçon fights in memory of his daughter Émilie. A hard fight against indifference as pandemic fatigue and the relaxation of sanitary measures add an enormous weight on the shoulders of immunosuppressed and vulnerable people.
Posted at 7:00 p.m.
“She and I have always fought for the rights of the most vulnerable. I promised him to go as far as possible. »
The promise was born on a pandemic fall morning. Louis Sansfaçon was walking with his daughter Émilie, suffering from colorectal cancer, towards the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec. The young mother was to receive her 35e chemotherapy treatment. They passed a passerby who was not wearing a mask. Émilie stiffened, terrified that COVID-19 would further threaten her life and rob her of precious time with those she loved.
If this stranger could have known at a glance that the young woman in front of him was fighting for her life, no doubt he would have paid more attention. She pointed this out to her father.
Dad, you would have to invent something to tell him: pay attention to me.
Emilie Sansfaçon
This is how Louis Sansfaçon created the Immunoclip with his daughter, a pin with a simple red “i” that any vulnerable person can attach to their mask as a call for kindness.1. A way for Emilie to say: “If you send me a virus, I will quickly end up in the hospital and probably in intensive care. I could even die of it. »
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Louis Sansfaçon holds a photo of his daughter, Émilie.
Emilie unfortunately did not live long enough to see the project come to fruition. She died of illness on November 5, 2020. At 31, she understood “that life is a privilege, health is fragile and love does not always triumph”, wrote Louis Sansfaçon in a moving letter to him. paying homage2.
The father’s voice hoarse as he speaks of it. “Émilie, I have always been by her side. And even if she is no longer here today, I feel that she is next to me too in her own way. »
After launching his project in the spring of 2021, in collaboration with several foundations and pharmacies, Louis Sansfaçon managed to generate some media interest and a small surge of solidarity. He has already raised over $50,000, given to charities for cancer prevention and patient care, through the sale of several thousand Immunoclips. But he still has a long way to go. “So far, we are in 60 pharmacies in Quebec. There are 1,800…” Behind this little “i”, there is a lot of love, solidarity and empathy, he underlines. “But if that ‘i’ isn’t known, it’s not that effective. »
On behalf of his daughter, the father called on the Legault government to help him publicize the initiative, as the Prime Minister had done with the transparent visor masks allowing lip reading. He knocked on several doors, including that of the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé. In vain.
“It’s not sexy to wear a mask right now. Especially in a pre-election situation…”
However, in a context where there is no longer any obligation to wear a mask in public transport or at the grocery store, does it not become even more relevant to do more to protect the most vulnerable?
What motivates this refusal? “In a context where many messages are conveyed by Public Health, almost on a daily basis, it was felt that asking immunosuppressed people to wear this symbol would be a very targeted approach. We must instead focus the message on respecting health instructions for vulnerable people, whether they are elderly or immunosuppressed, ”explains Marjaurie Côté-Boileau, director of communications in the office of Minister Dubé.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY LOUIS SANSFAÇON
Emilie Sansfaçon and her father, Louis Sansfaçon
Even if the indifference of the government disappoints him, Louis Sansfaçon does not intend to give up. It is his daughter who inspires him. “Émilie was a fighter. If it had gone through, I can tell you a case: the “i” would be known in batinse ! I am inspired by her determination as much in the face of the disease – which she obviously wanted to overcome – as in her positions. »
Denial and indifference to the plight of vulnerable people after more than two years of the pandemic are not unique to Quebec. We observe the same phenomenon in many Western societies where “living with the virus” too often means “letting the most vulnerable die with the virus”. But that doesn’t make it any more acceptable.
Immunosuppressed and vulnerable people who pay the price of “every man for himself” risk management are much more numerous than one might think, recalls the Dr André Veillette, researcher in immunology and oncologist. According to Statistics Canada, 14% of the population has a weakened immune system and 18% has an underlying health condition such as diabetes or a chronic disease affecting the lungs, heart or kidneys, which increases the risk of related complications. to COVID-193.
Overall, 38% of adults in the country have at least one underlying health condition linked to risk of serious complications if they contract COVID-194. Not to mention the elderly who, even without any genetic disease, see their immune system weakened, or the youngest who think they are healthy, but are not.
An evolved society should take care of everyone. It’s unfortunate that we don’t.
The Dr André Veillette, researcher in immunology and oncologist
As if some lives were considered less valuable than others.
We are not talking here about a return to confinement or other big sacrifices. “We are talking, for example, of improving ventilation, of requiring the wearing of a mask in certain contexts, of using rapid tests…”
So many collective measures that do not prevent people from living and would posthumously respond to Emilie’s wish by saying: “We will take care of you. »