Robert Moreau and Nathalie Boyer-Moreau

A legacy to honor the memory of a loving husband and father

Nathalie Boyer-Moreau recently made a remarkable gesture to honour the memory of her husband by supporting the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR) with a generous and far-reaching donation.

Why did you choose the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont and its Foundation?

Nathalie Boyer-Moreau: My husband, Robert Moreau, was treated for a long time at the HMR for acute myeloblastic leukemia, a cancer affecting the hematopoietic cells—the blood cells—of the bone marrow. Most notably, he received a bone marrow transplant in December 2013.

He received extraordinary care and support for nearly six years and had told me he wanted to make a significant donation to the Foundation for the benefit of the HMR and its teams. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could make it happen. My children and I were determined to respect his wish while giving him an enduring tribute. That is why we are doing this.

What will your donation be used for?

Nathalie Boyer-Moreau: The donation supports several initiatives that bring hope to people suffering from acute leukemia, the disease that took my husband's life.

Acute Leukemia Fellowship Program

First, there is $100,000 for the creation of the Acute Leukemia Fellowship Program. This program will be led by Dr. Julie Bergeron, a provincial authority in the diagnosis and treatment of this particular form of cancer. It will provide young physicians with highly specialized training in leukemia so that the management of this disease can be optimized, not only here in Quebec but also elsewhere in the world.

Clinical research on bone marrow transplantation

Another $100,000 will fund clinical research on bone marrow transplants, in particular the work of the Maryse and William Brock Chair for Applied Research in Stem Cell Transplantation at the Université de Montréal, held by Dr. Jean Roy.

Research projects related to acute leukemia

Finally, $300,000 will support other projects related to acute leukemia. These funds will be allocated to projects in the Department of Hemato-Oncology, headed by Dr. Luigina Mollica, and developed in collaboration with Dr. Imran Ahmad and the HMR teams that treated my husband.