Julia Savard-Todd

Profile and story

Julia saw her life take an unexpected turn on November 30, 2019.
After experiencing neck pain, the dedicated student, basketball player and competitive downhill skier underwent tests, which revealed a tumour in her spinal chord. Her life came to a complete stop. She faced her subsequent surgery and rehabilitation with the energy and determination for which she was known.
Further tests on her tumour revealed that she had stage-IV gliomedulloblastoma. She began treatment in the pediatric oncology unit at the CHU de Québec’s Charles Bruneau pavilion. In January 2020, her hopes were renewed thanks to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the treatment caused lesions to appear on her arms and legs. In spite of having to live with permanent physical side-effects, she moved ahead with her life and took ownership of her body as it was.
After her cancer resurfaced in the fall of 2020, Julia resumed her treatments. But her body failed to respond, and on May 21, 2021, Julia left us for her final voyage.