Fundraiser for Montreal firefighter diagnosed with deadly brain cancer

A Montrealer who makes a living fighting deadly blazes is now fighting for his life.

Firefighter Gabriel Thibert was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, earlier this year.

“It all started on the 22nd of January, the last one, and I had a seizure attack,” Thibert recounted. “And at this moment I was with my loved one, and I went to the emergency, got back at home the day after.

“But one month after I had to pass further tests. And that’s where I did the discovery that I had a glioblastoma, which is a stage 4 cancer.”

The 39-year-old is a father of two young girls.

“Right now there’s a few solutions to increase the life expectancy that I have,” he said. “The average is 15 months, so it’s not that long. And I’m a young father that wants to see my kids grow. So I’m counting on the research, and that’s why I think it’s important to do what they do today.”

Looking to help any way he could, friend and fellow firefighter Alex Kheir at fire station 41 – on Champagneur Avenue in Parc Ex – started a fundraiser through the MUHC Foundation.

“I thought maybe I could get other firefighters to show our support, to show the brotherhood,” Kheir said. “And then I thought, well, we might as well raise money for this. And then I asked Gab if he had an idea of a cause that he wanted to raise money for. And that’s when we found the MUHC and the research being done on glioblastoma, which is Gab’s cancer.”

“As a firefighter, I know what it’s like to risk it all if there is even a slight chance of saving someone,” Kheir wrote on the MUHC fundraiser page. “I knew that I couldn’t look my friend in the eye and do nothing about his illness. In the 19 years he’s served as a firefighter, he’s given so much to help others.

“Gabriel is too young, it’s too soon, he has so much life left to live. I’m launching this fundraiser because I want to give meaning to something that feels utterly inexplicable to me.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, $9,905 was raised from 109 donations – with funds going towards glioblastoma research.

“We know that glioblastoma is a type of brain cancer that is very, very hard to treat because the blood-brain barrier actually doesn’t allow the regular standard treatments to actually penetrate and really have an impact,” explained Marie-Hélène Laramée, president and CEO of the MUHC Foundation. “And so the foundation supports projects that really are looking for the cures of tomorrow.

“What’s very important to bring the excellence in health care to our community here in Montreal, not only rely on things that exist around the world, but really have for all Montrealers, all Quebecers, the absolutely best world standard care right here in our city. And this is what we do. The research institute is the largest research institute in Quebec. It has world-class cancer research, and this is why they’re supporting this cause today.”

Kheir’s fundraising goal is $20,000.

“We’ve got donations from firefighters all around the province,” he said. “Maybe outside the province, I wouldn’t know. But slowly I’m trying to build this to be the biggest event possible.”

Added Thibert: “I don’t want to make it about me. It’s about the cause, the cause of the cancer that I have, which is underfunded. And that’s why we have to talk about it, and I want the money to come to maybe accelerate the fact that I can survive.

“I’m counting on the research, and that’s why I think it’s important to do what they do today.”

Anyone wishing to donate to help advance research into glioblastoma can visit the online fundraiser.