MONTREAL - The Lighthouse, a non-profit in Montreal's east end, is a place where sick kids can get to escape some of the isolation associated with struggling against illness.
And Mathieu Ford, who has battled cancer for two years, has learned to appreciate the place and the people he meets there.
"There's a guy with me in my room that's called Maxime and he's a friend and I have other friends here," said young Mathieu.
Mathieu's mother Elise says that The Lighthouse has offered some much-needed relief.
"It's very difficult," she said. "You're on automatic pilot for that period of time and I don't even know if you can deal with your emotions."
The boy even wants to stay overtime occasionally.
"Once I came to pick him up and he says it's too early, I want to stay here for a weeks," she said.
The facility is hoping to raise two million dollars to keep its services going.
"It needs a lot of care, a lot of nursing care, also a lot of attention to communicate with them and make a difference," said Lyse Lussier of The Lighthouse.
She says that the place is full of joy, in spite of the sad circumstances that bring the children there.
"Everyone is really looking to make it a celebration because these children we don't know when it's going to end, so we celebrate day by day," she said.
Another staffer agrees.
"Though they come here and they have the disease, it's always positive here," said Christine De Schutter, an educator at The Lighthouse.
