This phrase is one Béatrice repeats often to her mother. A simple idea, issued with a child’s innocence, but which speaks volumes about her inner strength.

Béatrice keeps going, even when her heart isn’t in it. Even when her little arms have been poked endlessly with needles, when her legs are aching, when she has to spend nights at the hospital and each time she has to go to the CHEO (as many as four times every week). She knows these things mean time-out on her games, fun with her friends, dancing, day camp activities…

In November 2022, at the age of just three, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After that, nothing was simple anymore. An anaphylactic reaction to a treatment meant she had to switch to injections, administered several times a week. Each step in the little girl’s ordeal required courage, resilience and superhuman patience. Sometimes she cried, and sometimes she was afraid, but the treatments finally ended and Béatrice is in remission today.

She can now proudly proclaim no more sleeps at the hospital, that she attends the same day camp as her big sister Aurélie, that she can dance, for real (on a stage and at home) to music by Bruno Mars. When she lets loose, it’s the effervescent six-year-old girl who takes over!

She plays at being a pretend teacher surrounded by imaginary friends; she dreams of becoming a hair stylist or makeup artist. She runs, laughs, happily crunches on ketchup chips, hugs her dogs Pistache and Frimousse and chats with her parrots, Coquette and Cornette.

This is the rebuilding phase: where the family learns to live again, relax a bit, not panic at the slightest hint of a head cold. And every smile from Beatrice is another step taken in through the cherished world of normalcy.

Béatrice is a warrior – a luminous, cheerful little girl who is always ready to turn tears into peals of laughter.