A 33-year-old mother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Despite everything, she doesn’t want to beat herself up and wants to make the most of the family moments she has.
Since March 16, Tyfanie Lavoie, a young mother from Quebec, has had the word “healing disappear from the dictionary” as the disease spread to her bones.
“My world fell apart that day. What I find most unfair is that I will not see my boy grow up. It breaks my heart,” she gushes, overcome with uncertainty.
Liam Brusseau, just 13 months old, has only memories of his mother from the videos and photos his father, Jean-Simon, tries to capture every day.
Photo by Tyfanie Lavoie
“I set myself the goal of accumulating the most memories of seeing the two together, explains Jean-Simon Brousseau. We do our best to find moments of magic and joy in everyday life, even if every second is difficult.
Tough test
Two months after giving birth to her son, Tiffany Lavoie decided to see a doctor for persistent back pain.
“At first I was told it was muscle pain, maybe I was straining badly or something. In the following weeks, I noticed it was making more noise when I breathed, so I insisted,” explains the former chief esthetician at Jean Coutu in Quebec.
After a full battery of tests, the ax fell: the new mother was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer in April 2022, “pure bad luck”, as doctors explained to her, having never smoked in her life.
Tyfanie Lavoie received three “high-dose” chemotherapy treatments and about thirty radiation treatments.
“It was so taxing that I couldn’t even wash myself after my treatments. I struggled to take care of myself and I had a newborn baby in my arms. I was lucky to have an extraordinary spouse and family who helped me through it all,” she says gratefully.
Variety
Dying with incurable cancer, Tyfanie Lavoie has decided to use every moment to do what she loves. A family trip to Western Canada, among other things, is on the cards.
Admittedly, it should focus on “short-term projects”. The first thing on her wish list is to finally marry her lover.
“He asked me before we had Liam, and then our lives turned upside down. I absolutely love to keep that vow and become his wife. I want us to have that moment,” Ms. Lavoie choked with emotion.
Photo by Tyfanie Lavoie
For other things, “when [son] The body will no longer follow”, Tyfanie Lavoie decided to seek medical assistance in dying. She did not want to suffer any more while waiting to take her last breath.
“I don’t want my loved ones to have the image of me writhing in pain in a hospital bed. I will savor all the good times I have left with my loved ones and then I will leave in peace.
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