WATCH: Part 1 – A mother from Hudson shares her poignant memories of the Children’s Hospital
MONTREAL — The Montreal Children’s Hospital is set to move on May 24, after 59 years at its current location. The move to the Glen site marks a new beginning for many, but one mother admits it will be difficult to turn the page.
“I love being here, I don’t love being here but I love knowing that when I come here I’m going to get the best treatment,” said Laura Bergeron.
The Hudson resident gave birth to twins eight years ago after a long struggle with fertility. The babies were born premature at 26 weeks. Megan died at birth, but Logan survived several months at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“It’s just like you’re attached to the little things,” said Bergeron, who decided to come back to the ninth floor for one last visit.
“It’s all the symbols in the hospital that make it so important to you,” said Bergeron.
“It’s familiarity, and it’s where you grieved and where all your emotions were put out on the table.”
Bergeron and her husband spent day and night in the neo-natal intensive care unit.
Bergeron credits the staff members for helping them cope, and is especially grateful for one nurse in particular.
“Marie-Ève is my everything,” said Bergeron of nurse Marie-Ève Moreau, who is now her friend.
“She was my rock when everything was going horribly.”
It’s been eight years since Logan lost his battle, but Bergeron and her beloved nurse remember that day clearly.
“It was a sunny day,” said Bergeron, while reminiscing.
“It had just stopped raining,” added Moreau.
Bergeron said she will never forget that Moreau came in on her day off to grieve with the family.
“You came in on your day off and sat with us,” Bergeron told Moreau.
“She’s my rock. She was my really big rock, and she knows that.”
The family finds it much more comforting to grieve their babies while roaming the halls of the hospital, rather than the graveyard.
“I totally would rather come here and grieve because this is where all of life’s cards were dealt to me,” said Bergeron.
“It was where I heId my son for the first time, it’s where I made life-long relationships, it’s where I met some of the best psychologists around to help us get through the tough times.”
Bergeron feels bittersweet about the children’s hospital moving away at the end of the month.
“It’s going to be really hard, I pull my strength from this hospital and from the people around it.”
However, the new hospital isn’t far away, and Moreau is convinced the angels of the Children’s will keep watching over them.
“You have to think about all these little angels, and all these little babies that made that place so special,” said Moreau.
“There’s a lot of memories for a lot of people and we hope that those little angels will find their way through to the other hospital.”
Life has been good to Bergeron since she lost her twin babies. She and her husband turned to adoption.
“I have two wonderful daughters and I’m still happily married so life is really good.”
While turning the page won’t be easy, Bergeron will forever cherish the good and bad memories at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“I think that’s going to be the hardest part because when I do go upstairs I feel my son’s presence,” said Bergeron, “Whether he’s there in spirit or not, it’s my memories.”
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