THETFORD MINES | Two years after being killed in a road accident, young lovers are an endless source of inspiration for their parents, who cling to the joie de vivre they exude and the legacy they leave thanks to human tissue donation.
Catherine Poulin and Jérémy Routhier, both 17, were returning from Quebec City, where they had gone shopping before he left for a school trip on January 2, 2020.
The tragedy occurred on the way home in the Thetford Mines region, when the young driver lost control of the vehicle on a very slippery road on Route 218 in Saint-Gilles.
The couple ended up in the opposite direction, where another car could not avoid the collision.
Despite immense pain, Catherine’s mother decided to let herself be inspired by the values of her daughter, “a young reserved person who adored life”, a “happy” and “brilliant” woman.
no bitterness
“It wasn’t long after the accident that I said to myself: it’s not true that I’m going to roll myself into a small ball and that I’m going to stay in my bed. I did, but that’s not what Catherine would want, ”says Sophie Thivierge.
Even if she misses him every day, Jeremy’s mother also chose to take charge of her life, like her boy who was “always in a good mood”, in addition to being a great athlete.
Together, the couple was a real pillar for their friends to whom “they were ready to give the land”.
“What’s the use of being bitter and unhappy? They were really happy,” emphasizes Paule Grégoire.
find meaning
To give meaning to “what has none”, the two mothers take comfort in the fact that the deaths have made it possible to help 24 people thanks to the donation of several tissues.
Both Jérémy and Catherine had signed their card authorizing organ and tissue donation and had spoken to relatives about it.
After the tragedy, the conditions were not met for the removal of organs, but corneas, heart valves, tendons, bone tissue and vascular tissue could be.
The mothers got involved headlong with the Chain of Life organization, which educates young people aged 15 to 17 about this gesture and the inestimable value of a healthy body.
“I tell myself that she left, but that it’s not for nothing,” says Ms. Thivierge.
Ms. Grégoire encourages for her part to have a “family discussion” on the subject, to avoid any confusion if the unthinkable happens.
- A sign that the young couple continues to have a positive impact in the community, a fundraiser in their tribute created by students from the Polyvalente de Thetford Mines has made it possible to donate $8,800 to the organization Chaîne de vie in the last few weeks. .
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com