Light up the Tree
and make life brighter for children!
Ambassadors of the
Youth Tree of Lights
In conjunction with
Presented by
Sponsor a Student
Find the student you’d like to support and go directly to their fundraising page.
Sponsor a School
Find the school you’d like to support and go directly to their fundraising page.
Sponsor the Event
Contribute to the campaign by making a general donation to the Youth Tree of Lights.
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Tools to get more donations
Check out the fundraising toolkit to learn how to ask your friends and family for donations, find the right arguments to inspire them to give, and spread the word about your fundraiser. You’ll also find tips and tricks, key talking points, and ready-to-post visuals to share on social media.
INSPIRING AMBASSADORS
Your lights illuminate their path to recovery
Collège Durocher Saint-Lambert
Ivana, 16
Two years ago, at age 14, Ivana’s kidneys were functioning at 8% to 10% capacity. She had no energy. There was no choice but to put her on dialysis three times a week at Sainte‑Justine. A year later, her mother gave her the greatest of all gifts: one of her own kidneys. Ivana regained her spark, her complexion and even her appetite. Today, life with three kidneys is good!
Ivana attends Collège Durocher. Her commitment to the Youth Tree of Lights is her way of making young lives brighter and using her story to inspire change.
Externat Sacré-Coeur
Benjamin, 17
Benjamin learned to ride a bicycle when he was five, but even the slightest contact with the pedals would leave his legs covered in bruises. The teams at Sainte‑Justine determined that an autoimmune disorder was destroying his platelets. Years of blood tests, treatments and safety precautions followed, and even the slightest fall posed a significant risk.
Fast forward to today: Benjamin is about to graduate from high school. He has big plans for the future, including becoming a heavy vehicle mechanic. As a Youth Tree of Lights ambassador, he wants to make hope shine for all of Sainte‑Justine’s young patients and remind them of the importance of chasing their dreams — no matter what.
Collège Charles-Lemoyne
Layla, 13
The teams at Sainte‑Justine were keeping a close eye on Layla’s heart long before she was born. She underwent open heart surgery at the tender age of six months and has relied on a pacemaker to keep her heart beating normally ever since. In 2025, an emergency operation was required to repair the malfunctioning leads. It was yet another obstacle to overcome for this avid ringette, soccer and skiing enthusiast — but not enough to quash her optimistic outlook.
These days, Layla is back on the fields she loves and enjoying her teenage years to the fullest. As a Youth Tree of Lights ambassador, she wants to bring hope to all those who depend on Sainte‑Justine’s caring teams of experts as they pursue their dreams.
Collège Regina Assumpta
Myriem, 12
At a young age, Myriem started to lose strength in her legs. So much so that walking and climbing the stairs was becoming increasingly difficult. At Sainte‑Justine, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neurodegenerative disorder. A newly developed treatment helped her maintain her ability to walk and preserve her independence.
Myriem was determined not to let her condition dictate how she would live her life. She even insisted that one of her treatments be rescheduled so she wouldn’t miss her first week of school. She is currently a student at Collège Regina Assumpta and aspires to one day become a judge. Myriem sees her involvement in the Youth Tree of Lights campaign as her way of sparking hope in other young people.
École Vision St-Jean
Romeo, 7
While Romeo was still in his mother’s womb, prenatal tests showed profound congenital deafness and a brain malformation. His family feared the worst. He was diagnosed with Chudley–McCullough syndrome, a condition so rare that there are only 40 or so cases worldwide. But amid the uncertainty, there was a beacon of hope: Sainte‑Justine.
Today, thanks to the excellent care he has received, Romeo is embracing the wonders of childhood. He loves to dance and play music, and he can already speak several languages. Through his participation in the Youth Tree of Lights campaign, he hopes to light the way for other children and help them see a brighter future ahead.
A MOVEMENT LED BY QUEBEC YOUTH
The Sainte‑Justine Youth Tree of Lights
The Sainte‑Justine Youth Tree of Lights returns this November for its seventh edition!
Every year, this initiative brings together thousands of private school students from across Quebec to raise funds for the children and families of Sainte‑Justine.
Throughout November, participants will reach out to family and friends and invite them to sponsor lights on the Tree for $5 each. Together, they will light up the base of the Tree in the lead-up to the main campaign. The total amount raised will be announced during the Tree of Lights kickoff event.
Please join us in spreading a message of hope for the young patients of Sainte‑Justine during the holidays. Because when young people come together to support other young people, hope shines even brighter.
SPARKING HOPE FOR 19 YEARS
Sainte‑Justine Tree of Lights
Every year, the students participating in the Sainte‑Justine Youth Tree of Lights campaign get a head start on lighting up the Tree. All November long, their efforts get the first lights shining at the base of the Tree and build momentum for the holiday campaign.
At the end of the month, they will pass the torch to the rest of the community. Since 2008, people across Quebec have helped spark hope for the children and families of Sainte‑Justine by bringing the Tree to life, one $5 donation at a time.
Through this province-wide chain of generosity, $21 million has been raised over the past 19 years to help Sainte‑Justine push the boundaries of pediatric medicine and provide innovative, world-class care to young patients.
CAUSE
Growing Beyond our wildest dreams
Providing care in childhood has more impact to ensure better health overall than intervening at any other stage of life. More than ever, Growing Beyond for every child in a targeted way makes it possible to prevent and predict the onset of illness that could limit their immediate and future development. Acting early, often in the mother’s womb, means preventing the onset of more serious forms of disease. It has a transformative effect on the entire life trajectory of a child and his or her family.
There’s not a minute to lose to transform the life of every child in Quebec. With its exceptional mobilizing force, youth allows our university-affiliated hospital to keep up with the best in pediatrics.
Growing beyond with us means transforming lives, for life.
