Spreading holiday magic to Montreal’s bravest patients at Le Phare

Le Phare held its annual holiday parade on Monday. It has become a special tradition in Montreal – and even the rain couldn’t stop police officers, firefighters, paramedics, volunteers, and more – including Santa himself – from spreading joy and love to the littlest patients in palliative care, their families and staff of the center.

“They touch your heart and they bring you back to the essence of what the holidays are really about,” said Ariane Parent-Lemay, Nursing and Health Care Services director at Le Phare. “Everybody was singing Christmas carols before they arrived.”

Le Phare, known in English as ‘The Lighthouse,’ is a unique resource for pediatric palliative care in Quebec. It’s dedicated to children with a life-limiting illness and their families.

“Helping each other, being there for each other. We’re a non-profit with a very family-like setting and so it’s just bringing back that family, that togetherness, that connection. And just seeing all of these amazing frontline workers come to us to help the children, to help us to cheer us up is just amazing. I think it makes us all tear up,” added Parent-Lemay.

“It’s become a tradition and it just kicks [the holidays] off for us, it kicks it off for the children. And then we continue that magic inside.”

A tradition that started four years ago thanks to Marco Cerroni, at the time a Montreal police (SPVM) cadet when he decided to organize a parade for a former patient at Le Phare whose dream was to  become a police officer.

“It was his last Christmas, so I wanted to do something special for him. So I did a Christmas parade for him and the other children at Le Phare and ever since then I’ve been continuing to do this,” said Cerroni, now an SPVM officer. “Every year, with all the Montreal police officers, the firefighters, the paramedics, and other police forces around Quebec….rain or shine we’ve made a promise to Le Phare that we’re always…be there. So we’re going to be there no matter what. If it rains or snows, we are always going to be here every year.”

Many volunteers, like Rocco Speranza, also come out to help. “It’s important to give back and again on such a rainy day like today to brighten the lives of many people – it’s super important. As you can tell the adults are smiling, everyone’s smiling. It’s a great day for everyone.”

“We always say we can control the life limiting illnesses of these children, but we can control the quality of life that they have. We can control them having fun and being able to fully, you know be in their youth and fully enjoy life,” said Parent-Lemay.

Adding that she is grateful for all the support that allows them to provide the free care and services to help families navigate the worst of the storms at Le Phare.

“Everything we offer from respite to end of life care is free. So we need our community, we need the whole community to help us.”

“It’s a positive day…it’s the least we can do. It’s our pleasure and it’s our honor to be here,” said Cerroni.