The Association du cancer de l'Est du Québec and the Quebec Cancer Foundation are proud to announce their new partnership aimed at optimizing support for people dealing with cancer and their loved ones in every corner of Quebec. Their common goal is to facilitate access to services, and together, offer a wider range of resources that respond to specific needs in the lives of thousands of Quebecers facing cancer.
 
With their combined forces, the Association du cancer de l'Est du Québec and the Quebec Cancer Foundation will be able to provide optimal service to all regions of Quebec. The Association is firmly implanted in the Lower Saint Lawrence, North Shore, Gaspé and Magdalene Islands regions, while the Foundation is equally well established in all other areas of the province. They have both been committed to improving the quality of life of these communities for close to four decades.
 
"What we are aiming for is the complementarity of the services developed by the two organizations in order to better meet the needs of Quebecers affected by cancer. Rather than duplicate services, the Association and the Foundation will amalgamate the ones they already offer and ensure that their development efforts complement each other," Marco Décelles, Director General of the Quebec Cancer Foundation announced at the press conference.
 
Nelson Charette, Director General of the Association du cancer de l’Est du Québec added: "The benefits of this partnership are many: greater ease of access to a wider range of services tailored to the needs of individuals affected by cancer, optimal use of funds dedicated to the development of these services, and enhanced coherence between the services developed, making it possible to address a wider spectrum of needs. One could say that this partnership allows each organization to offer new services without necessarily having to develop them.”
 
Also present at the press conference was Julie Côté, a native of Rimouski and mother of two. She herself carries the BRCA2 gene mutation, which puts her at high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. She said: "The message that is important to me and that I want to get across to others is the importance of learning. By the time my mother learned she had cancer, I had a hard time finding the information required to get the support she needed. Today, I salute the initiative of the Association and the Foundation, two organizations that are important to me and have chosen to work together to facilitate access to services that can bring about real improvements in the daily lives of people dealing with the disease.”
 
"Together, we are stronger against cancer," say the leaders of both organizations.