Gabrielle Bélanger: When Passion for Fashion Meets Hope

Gabrielle Bélanger, 16 years old, has a dream: to study in Fashion Design at LaSalle College with her brother, Sam, and, together, present their clothing collection in a fashion show and become the greatest designers in Montréal.

Gabby has been battling brain and spinal cancer for years, and it was through that battle that she discovered her love for fashion, as she designed outfits to help pass the time in the hospital.

Bringing Her a Little Closer to Her Dream

Her High School English teacher, Sophie Giroux, saw an opportunity for Gabby to attend LaSalle College's Open House and she, along with Gabby's math teacher at the Montreal Children's Hospital, contacted us to give her some hope and bring her closer to her dream!

This week, as part of our Open House event, Gabby was given a private guided tour of the campus and of our Techno-Espace, a special room full of specialized sewing machines. She met with one of our students, Olivier Poulin, who was working on a school project. He generously took the time to speak about his project and even made a demonstration on how to use one of the machines. Gabby also became a student for a day and joined a real class in Fashion Design: Study and Utilization of Raw Materials, with our teacher Jennifer Millen.

The whole story was captured by CTV News. You can watch CTV's report and read the article right here.

"I wanted to thank you for being welcoming yesterday at the College. Gabby and her brother loved the day they spent there. Moments like these allow her to forget about the disease and make plans. It's very motivating for her and it gives her the energy and strength to keep fighting." - Julie Beaudoin, Gabby's teacher at the Montreal Children's Hospital.