Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a brave and courageous young man, Jonathan Pitre, who suffers from a severe form of EB, a terrible disease that causes irritation and red blisters. Having this disease according to doctors is like being a burn victim one's whole life.
Does this bring Jonathan down? Absolutely not. When asked by the Ottawa Citizen, Jonathan said, “Of course I’m not, you know, happy that I have this.... But, at the same time, I kind of am because I prefer it being me than somebody else.” At 16 years of age, he is already a noble man.
His selfless kindness does not stop there. He is an ambassador for DEBRA Canada.
Over the last month Jonathan has been undergoing a stem cell transplant in Minnesota. It did not work, but doctors are optimistic that the second stem cell transplant will work.
Jonathan is an inspiration for all of us. His community will walk for him on November 19. I know my colleagues here will agree with me when I say we are all with Jonathan as he undergoes his second treatment. Be strong. We look forward to seeing Jonathan back in Russell.