Submitted by Chantal Lachance.
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of André Poirier, member of Vise-a-Vie Dragon boat team.
André Poirier was one of the men who had taken part in an interview in Sarasota, Florida with the 3 other men, Herb Wagner (Florida), André Poirier (our teammate) and Mark O’Connor (Ireland) and Steve McDougall (Ontario) not in the picture. André was also part of the 2018 festival in Italy. He was always advocating to get better services and recognition as a “man" living with breast cancer to the Quebec breast cancer foundation as well as with the Canadian BC foundation.
André always felt alone as a man living with breast cancer in his day-to-day life, but being part of a dragon boat team changed everything. So, when the IBCPC gave him the opportunity to meet other men living with breast cancer in Sarasota he was really ecstatic. It was an amazing for him to connect with other male dragon boat members to share their reality, as men, living with what is being considered a woman cancer.
He was really proud to be part of our team and really felt like he belonged with us even if there were only women.
On behalf of myself, and all the other members of the Vise-à-Vie team, thank you for giving the men a voice!
