COPY - The Bazinet family Halloween 2024 campaign

My name is François Bazinet and I would like to share my family's story with you.

On March 9, 2022, our little girl, then aged 2 years and 9 months, was diagnosed with a germ cell tumor, a stage 4 cancer of the yolk sac with metastases to the lungs.

We never imagined that our child would be “the one” in 400 to develop pediatric cancer before the age of 15, with a chance of remission estimated at around 70%. At that moment, we knew that our family was about to go through one of the worst trials that would change us for the rest of our lives. Waking up every morning wondering if our child was going to be okay, hoping she would be comfortable, despite the four walls of the hospital and the multitude of treatments, tests, and medications she had to undergo to feel better and fight the cancer. Despite everything, our little girl never ceases to amaze us with her joie de vivre and when we see her fighting like a champion.

After four cycles of chemotherapy between March 2022 and May 2022, as well as an operation (removal of the coccyx and tumor) in July 2022, we can finally breathe easy, as our little girl is finally considered to be in remission.

During our routine checkup in August 2022, we noticed a small lump in the groin area. The feeling of fear returns once again. After taking blood samples, the doctor told us that the cancer had returned and that they would have to perform a much more aggressive operation to prevent the tumor from coming back (removal of the rectum and two vertebrae from the sacrum) as well as four more cycles of chemotherapy. This operation, performed in October 2022, resulted in a colostomy that may be permanent. The chances of remission were reduced given the relapse. We continued to hold on, because our little girl kept showing us how strong she was throughout it all. She was going through difficult times with the treatments, but she continued to smile and want to play. In December 2022, after these four cycles of chemotherapy and the operation, our little girl was considered to be in remission.

During our routine checkup in June 2023, we learned that the tumor markers had increased slightly. At that point, we were confident that everything was behind us and that it was probably just a minor virus. But a blood test, a PET scan, and a biopsy confirmed that the tumor had returned in another location. This second relapse devastated us.

Come and cheer us on:
At Saint-Dominique, in impasse de la Caillade