On Wednesday October 11, 2023, over 450 guests attended the 9th Edition of A Brilliant Night, the award-winning fundraiser in support of brain cancer research at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital).
Together with ticket sales, sponsors, and donations, A Brilliant Night raised a total of $869,770.
Attendees eagerly made their way into the Forum’s Cineplex 3D theatre armed with prosecco, movie theater popcorn and 3D glasses to watch a short film narrated by The Neuro’s Chief of Neurosurgery, Dr. Kevin Petrecca and Marie-Claude Lacroix who lost her son, and then husband to brain cancer.
The film was an immersive and engaging journey into the brain and discovery of The Neuro’s latest research into the origins of brain cancer. It also showed that the brain cancer cells are not formed where the tumour is, like what surgeons previously thought, but in another area of the brain where stem cells are formed. This is a huge discovery not just for the Montreal community, but gives hope for patients who are suffering with this disease, surgeons and researchers, anywhere in the world.
After the film, there was a thought-provoking discussion hosted by Quebec entertainer and performing artist, Gregory Charles, featuring Patrick Downie; the brother of the late Gord Downie (lead singer of The Tragically Hip), The Neuro’s Chief of Neurosurgery; Dr. Kevin Petrecca, and business community leader and A Brilliant Night Co-founder; Madeleine Paquin.
For the first time since his brother, Gord Downie’s passing, Patrick took to the big stage to share about the late singer’s diagnosis and his experience being Gord’s caregiver.
“I haven’t had many opportunities to talk about this and I think it’s really important. Gord was a very private man so it was hard to do these things in private,” Patrick said. “When the word came down that he had glioblastoma and the survival rates are not good he asked his doctors if they thought he could perform again. The doctor said ‘maybe with all the drugs you could do a song’ and he said ‘well I’m not like other people.’
“The number one thing on Gord’s bucket list was to get out there and play in front of people again. Despite two craniotomies, six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, Gord did a tour around the country and then another solo tour to raise awareness for indigenous issues in the country,” Patrick said, “He defied a lot of expectations by getting up and doing that- night in and night out across the country. He was a real beacon of hope for others.”
“What I learned from all of it is that you can’t underestimate the value of hope and that’s what you need; that’s really the thing that gets you through every day when you have it or you’re helping someone get through it. It’s nights like tonight and people like yourselves and Kevin. [Hope] is what holds us up because this is a very tough disease. You see people like Kevin and all these doctors go through it every day and yet they still have this boundless compassion and at the same time this optimism and energy to try and find some cures,” Patrick said.
Dr. Kevin Petrecca shared some of his research findings about glioblastoma that he and his research team have uncovered over the past year and gave a promising glimpse into what we can expect by this time next year. “We’ve been able to reach the apex of the origins of the development of the cancer and it turns out that apex is where the action is; that’s where the vulnerabilities are and that’s what we’re developing therapeutics for.”
The team’s latest research paper has been downloaded over 68,000 times, which according to Dr. Petrecca, in the field of science, “is a massive number for a two-year-old paper so it’s a landmark and historical achievement.”
Guests were then led to the main atrium where they were greeted with the delicious aroma of local Montreal restaurants including eggplant parmigiana from Buffet Il Gabbiano, an oyster bar by Notkins, salmon tartare from Luciles, various risottos from Beatrice, cookies from Le Fournil, and many more. A local musician serenaded the guests on the balcony above with sultry jazz tunes.
This was an opportunity for The Neuro’s community to come together to meet others who have been affected by this tragic disease and also to celebrate the progress The Neuro is making on the world stage. Every step counts when it comes to this incurable disease, and we are moving closer to discovering how these cells are formed in the first place.
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