“The doctors take care of my wife’s health. I take care of everything else.”
— André Brisset des Nos, Partner of Lynda Piché, CHUM gynecologic oncology patient
For several years, André Brisset des Nos has been a caregiver for his wife, Lynda Piché, as they valiantly navigate the challenges of cancer together.
Lynda was first diagnosed in 2015. Following surgery at Hôpital Notre-Dame, she began chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
“We found ourselves facing the unknown.”
André was already retired at the time, so he accompanied her to appointments and treatments. But he quickly realized that his role extended far beyond the hospital. At home, he took care of their day-to-day, prepared meals, ran errands and made sure Lynda could save her energy for what mattered most—regaining her health.
“Lynda was my priority.”
A role that comes naturally
For André, becoming a caregiver was an easy decision. It was simply what needed to be done.
“When someone you love is sick, you don’t ask yourself whether you’re going to take care of them. You just do.”
The years of treatment were nonetheless filled with worry. André watched his wife cope with fatigue, side effects and the upheaval that cancer brought into their lives. Together, they spoke openly about their fears, the future and even the possibility of not knowing how their story would end.
“We talked a lot about what would happen if it ended… and how we would deal with it.”
They faced every difficult moment together.
When the caregiver becomes a patient
A few years after Lynda’s diagnosis, cancer entered their home once again. This time, André was the one diagnosed with lung cancer. André was treated at the CHUM, where he underwent thoracic surgery performed by Dr. Abdulnour and was able to return home a few days later.
This time, their roles were reversed. Lynda was doing better and could be there for André, just as he had supported her for so many years.
“We were there for each other.”
The experience also gave André a new perspective on the CHUM: being a patient truly strengthened his trust in the teams who work there.
Another battle against cancer
Unfortunately, a few years later, Lynda’s cancer returned. The pandemic made this new challenge even harder, as restrictions prevented André from accompanying her to the hospital as he always had.
So André focused on what he could control: taking care of the house, running errands, preparing meals and helping Lynda conserve her energy.
“Seeing Lynda feel better made me feel better too.”
A woman who continues to defy the odds
Diagnosed with endometrial cancer, Lynda underwent several treatments before facing a significant second recurrence. Thanks to the expertise of the CHUM teams, her participation in a research protocol and ongoing hormone therapy treatment, she continues to defy expectations today.
Her story of resilience inspires André every day.
The hope made possible by research
When André looks back on his wife’s journey, he sees just how far medicine has come over the past several decades. He remembers his father, in particular, who also lost his life to cancer.
“Back then, it was often the same treatment for everyone. Today, they’re looking more closely at personalized treatments. It’s night and day.”
Today, Lynda takes a hormone therapy pill every day and is making the most of her life.
“It’s an incredible medical breakthrough. Fifty years ago, what she’s experiencing today simply wouldn’t have been possible.”
For André, advances in research are not abstract. They have his wife’s face. They represent more time together, more shared moments and more dreams that can still come true.
He admires the CHUM teams who care for patients while working to push the boundaries of medicine.
Thanks to donations to the CHUM Foundation, medical and research teams have the resources they need to develop increasingly targeted treatments, advance knowledge and generate new possibilities for people living with cancer.
For caregivers like André, these advances represent something that is deeply precious: more time with the people they love.