CORNWALL, Ontario – Alex Tourangeau has been selected to chair the 13th annual rachel’s Kids Garden Party which will be taking place on June 3 at the Ramada Inn in Cornwall.
Alex, who is 13 years-old, is a cancer survivor, having recently completed his treatment for childhood Leukemia.
Rachel’s House of Hope has wanted to have Alex as the chair of the Garden party for the past few years, but Alex has previously been to sick to take the job.
“We wanted someone who’s been very brace and courageous,” said Dr. Rachel Navaneelan.
“We look for someone who’s been through a difficult time and persevered,” said Rachel’s Kids Executive Director Kim Lauzon.
Now, with his treatment finished, Alex is excited to help host this popular event. He will be helping Dan Allaire and Bill Halman welcome the guests to the Garden Party and MC the evening.
During his treatment, Alex benefited from help from Rachel’s Kids House of Hope. They provided him with an XBox 360 and an IPod.
“The XBox was really nice because I was playing a lot of games when I was in hospital and now I could keep playing at home,” he said. “The IPod helped me keep in touch with people I wasn’t seeing.”
Alex’s father Claude said that both of these things made a huge difference for Alex when he came home from the hospital.
“His immune system was compromised from the chemo treatment when he came home,” he said. “He couldn’t go out of the house and see his friends, but this stuff helped him play and keep in touch with some people.”
Alex had some important advice for other kids who might be going through something similar as he did.
“Keep going,” he said. “You’re already in Hell, so keep going and stay positive and never give up.”
Throughout his treatment Alex had 1152 doses of chemo, 27 lumbar punctures, 10 sessions of radiation, and blood transfusions.
The Rachel’s Kids Garden Party is an important fundraiser for the organization and allows them to help other children in the Cornwall area like Alex.
Last year the Garden party raised $148, 000.
Every year, the Garden Party features fun food, entertainment and a live and a silent auction.
Tickets are available at Dr. Navaneelan’s dental office on Ninth St. near the McConnell intersection and at Rachel’s Kids House of Hope at the Boundary Rd. and Tollgate intersection..
