Montreal Children’s Hospital will double cancer trials after $1 million donation

Thanks to a generous donation, the Montreal Children’s Hospital will now be able to double the number of cancer trials it offers to young patients.

The hospital said it hopes to advance treatment options, especially for those with aggressive or incurable forms of cancer.

Last year, 18-year-old Jake Villalta was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare form of the disease.

His mother, Jessy Villalta, said their lives were turned upside down in an instant.

“Jake was a healthy boy until he was 17. He never went to the hospital, never got sick. Then, all of a sudden, it just happened,” she said.

Years ago, treatment options for Villalta’s form of leukaemia were limited, and the survival rate was low. But today, the outlook is different—he was able to participate in a clinical trial.

“So, it means he has a specific mutation in his leukemic cells that can be targeted with a specific medication,” said Dr. Catherine Vézina, Director of Hematology-Oncology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Vézina said that thanks to the donation, more young patients like Villalta will now have access to clinical trials.

The $1 million donation was made by Montreal-based North American transport and logistics company Fuel Transport.

With 15 per cent of children diagnosed with cancer not surviving, the hospital said it hopes to improve those statistics significantly.

“It’s so good when you have options to give to families. It’s so hard to tell a family their child has cancer,” said Dr. Vézina.

Villalta is now in remission, and his mother said she hopes other families will soon find the same peace of mind.

“The only thing I can say is, he’s been a champ. But thanks to the clinical trial, I can say today that I have my son home,” she said.

Although Villalta still faces many months of treatment, he said he wants other teens with cancer to know it’s worth it.

“It’s all to just make you better. So keep up the fight, and don’t stop,” he said.