{"id":1828,"date":"2025-06-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fondationduchum.com\/?post_type=testimonial&p=1828"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:23:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T19:23:32","slug":"langis-gagnon","status":"publish","type":"testimonial","link":"https:\/\/fondationduchum.com\/en\/why-give\/your-testimonials\/langis-gagnon\/","title":{"rendered":"Langis Gagnon\u2019s story of resilience and gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An early retirement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When picturing the final years of their career, most people imagine a gradual transition into a well-deserved retirement. For Langis Gagnon, it was more like a sudden drop. Langis, a researcher who was passionate about his work and devoted his professional life to innovation, was near the end of his career and serving as the director of a research and development department at the Centre de recherche informatique de Montr\u00e9al. He dreamed of an active retirement playing sports and working on personal projects. But in March 2019, acute joint pain and chronic anemia forced him to change his plans and take an early retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The long fight for a glimmer of hope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just days after a hospital visit to the CHUM<\/strong> to find the root cause of his pain, Langis received an urgent call. The doctors had tested his blood and found a mycobacterial infection called MAC, which is closely related to tuberculosis. He had to be hospitalized for a long time and complications arose when, already in fragile health, he contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disease that required an additional three months in hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors had been continuing to run blood tests on Langis and finally discovered he had a myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of bone marrow cancer<\/strong>. This disease disrupts the normal production of blood cells, which explained why his immune system was so weak, leaving him vulnerable to infections and complications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Regaining stability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Langis Gagnon is now stable<\/strong> after receiving an oral chemotherapy. He speaks with his doctor regularly over the phone, meaning fewer treks to the CHUM from Bas-Saint-Laurent. In his words, he\u2019s back to 85% of his pre-illness self, which means he\u2019s been able to get back to doing what he loves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Langis speaks about his medical journey, he is so grateful for the care and attention of the CHUM\u2019s medical staff. \u201cI was so lucky to be referred to the CHUM. Their care teams were absolutely top notch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI was so lucky to be referred to the CHUM. Their care teams were absolutely top notch.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Langis Gagnon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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