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Nearly 50 years ago, the idea of creating a foundation to help his hospital arose in Normand Therriault's head. So, director of technical services at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), he was well aware of the financial challenges facing the institution.
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“I had to find a way to cut expenses or generate revenue,” he recalls. After implementing several measures to ensure more efficiency and lower costs in several areas; telephony, security, laundry, equipment maintenance among others, he had no choice but to look for another source of income. Why not do as at Sherbrooke Hospital, now a CHSLD on Argyll Street, and set up a hospital foundation? The tradition was well established in the English-speaking community, but much less so on the French-speaking side. The project was big, but after receiving the approval of the CHUS management and the board of directors, he tackled it valiantly.
Long procedures and a lot of paperwork later, Mr. Therriault and his assistant, Ms. Yolande Roy, succeeded in completing the process of incorporating the CHUS Foundation, which officially came into being in 1977, creating its first board of directors where Mr. Therriault served on a voluntary basis. It was only the beginning. The existence and mission of the new foundation had to be made known. “The first donors were the doctors. They made a substantial donation of $75,000. Afterwards, we distributed a leaflet to the patients to explain what we were doing. We sent thousands of letters. We put a sculpture near the elevators, with our symbol of the time, a flower, where people could put money into a container. The donations came in slowly,” says Mr. Therriault. The first financial statements from 1978 indicate that the new foundation raised $114,928.
The trust of donors was gradually earned at the rate of the growing reputation of the hospital foundation. “Do you know Télé 7? It was in the amphitheater that we made the first telethons. That's how people got to know the foundation better and started giving more and more from year to year,” explains Mr. Therriault humbly, who points out that it is thanks to the involvement of many people that this television event grew in size and caused a great deal of generosity in the community. Over time, charitable events have added up and the Foundation now raises several million dollars each year.
“I am very happy to have had the idea of a foundation, it is a great success and I have good memories of it”, says the man with a big heart, father of 8 children, several of whom were adopted abroad. His family also shares his pride, especially his granddaughter Jessica Therriault. “I had a small premature baby, and when my grandfather came to visit us in the neonatology department, I showed him equipment on which there was writing financed by the Fondation du CHUS. I remember saying to him: Do you realize how much your initiative is helping to save lives? ”, says Jessica who followed in her footsteps and also works as a manager in the health network. Normand Therriault retired from the hospital in 1996. He now happens to go back as a patient. “When I go to the hospital, I tell myself that the equipment we use may have been partially or totally paid for by the Foundation and I am very happy about that! ”
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L’année 2024 marque le 20e anniversaire de la création du Fonds Brigitte-Perreault qui honore la mémoire d’une jeune gastroentérologue du CHUS décédée d’un cancer gastrique le 12 décembre 2004, à l’âge de 30 ans.
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Alexia's life was saved thanks to rapid access to high-quality care at the CHUS. At the age of 5, she had a severe cerebral hemorrhage.
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This year, the Centre de recherche du CHUS's postdoctoral fellowship, supported by Desjardins, was awarded to Élie Fiogbé, who will be able to continue his work on myotonic dystrophy type 1.
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Since his diagnosis with prostate cancer, François has realized just how common it is and how many men around him are affected by it.
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Amélie is suffering from breast cancer. A stage 3 hormone dependent cancer.
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It is with enthusiasm that we present to you the new chairman of the Board of directors of the CHUS Foundation, Yannick Crack, Esq, who, after many years of involvement in our organization, agrees to take over the reins for a term of 2 years.
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Did you know that 14,000 children are received at the Fleurimont Hospital emergency room each year? These little cubs do not always like to undergo the good care of the staff who do their best to make a blood test pleasant!
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Little Dany is 6 years old. He has just entered the first year of school and it is almost incredible, but for two years now, he has not had to worry about his food allergy to peanuts to the delight of his parents!
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Laurence has neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. This incurable disease currently affects one in 3,000 people.
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A particular case of blastomycosis detected quickly thanks to the expertise developed at the CHUS.
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For them it was an ordinary procedure, for me it was a return to life!
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Lyme disease has increased significantly in Canada over the last decade. Did you know that approximately 60% of Lyme disease cases reported in Quebec are here, in Estrie?
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For 50 years, the CHUS has been striving for excellence in care and medical research. Its health care staff contributes to the transformation of lives here in Estrie.
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The CHUS Foundation highlighted the involvement of its many volunteers by offering them an evening rich in emotions during its Gala reconnaissance, which was held this Thursday, in this volunteer action week.
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The issues surrounding women's health are multiple and the field of research still remains a great area to be explored further.
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A year ago, we met Josée, Mathilde's mother, who suffers from epilepsy and is receiving treatments here in Sherbrooke. On this International Epilepsy Day, we asked Josée for news about her daughter.
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The hearts of all employees of the CHUS Foundation were overflowing with gratitude last Thursday as we celebrated the global day of the word “thank you”.
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The acquisition of three new positron emission tomographs (PET-CT) allowed for more clinical examinations in the last year and advanced research on type 2 diabetes.
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Do you know why we need you? To offer the best care to people here, close to home.
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It is with great pride that the CHUS Foundation announces that it has raised a record amount of $48,617,950 during its major campaign, which began in 2018 and which just ended in March.
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A brand new fundraising campaign to benefit the CHUS Foundation has just been launched thanks to La Laiterie de Coaticook!
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The CHUS Foundation match ended particularly well: a Phoenix victory and $6,590 for children treated in pediatric oncology!
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Towards pain treatments that are more effective and safe than opioids?
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The CHUS Foundation is appealing to donors to finance a new integrated operating room, at the cutting edge of technology, at the Fleurimont Hospital of the CIUSSS de l'Estrie — CHUS.
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In March 2022, after 10 years of using the previous logo, the CHUS Foundation aunched a new brand image that is more current, more modern, more in line with its image.
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This week, the CHUS Foundation launched an advertising campaign to boost the last wave of its major 2018-2022 fundraising campaign.
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The CHUS Foundation announces the awarding of $470,000 for a research component on bladder cancer.
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The 10th edition of the annual program Au cœur de la vie by the CHUS Foundation was held tonight, in collaboration with Radio-Canada. The donations raised during the evening were the culmination of the annual fundraiser, reaching $5,537,803.
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