Everything started in November 2023, on the way back from a football game. Delighted by his team’s victory, Théophile told his parents he wasn’t feeling well, but they thought it was just fatigue from an energetic game. The next day, extreme, unusual fatigue prompted his parents to bring him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with desmoplastic small cell tumour.

Since then, Théophile has gone to the CHUL de Québec for regular chemotherapy sessions, with medical examinations in between treatments and the prospect of radiation therapy to come. What annoys him the most is that he had to stop his favourite activities, such as football and in-person school, instead attending remote classes for a few subjects. 

He says he was overwhelmed by the situation initially, wondering why this was happening to him. “It definitely scared me at first. I was even a little angry and thought, ‘Why me? Things were going fine, but now everything has turned upside down.’”

Despite it all, Théophile finds comfort and moments of happiness in many ways, whether that be cooking with his family, making plans for the future, going for walks or spending time with loved ones.

With admirable resilience and unshakeable determination, Théophile talks about his dreams. To become a football player, and who knows, maybe go into politics after his sporting career, an ambition that is reflected in his involvement on the student council. This calm and strong-minded teen refuses to be defined by the disease. He looks at the future through positive lenses, hoping to reconnect with his passion for football and fulfill his ambitions despite the challenges ahead.