inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf

inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf
get healthing in your inbox with the morning checkup and weekender newsletter!
home / 世界杯决赛2022

labour of love transforms bedrooms for children with disabilities

montreal-based fondation espace espoir and a team of volunteers help create spaces for hoping and dreaming.

by susan schwartz

apr 19 2022
read time 4 minute read
join the conversation
sandrine korsos, 19, in her redesigned room in dollard-des-ormeaux. espace espoir is a foundation that offers children and adolescents with chronic illnesses or disabilities a renovated bedroom. dave sidaway / montreal gazette

nineteen-year-old sandrine korsos was born with spina bifida — it’s a congenital defect of the spine — and other health challenges and has undergone 31 operations in her young life. she has been in the hospital for four and a half of the past nine years and, when she is at home in the west island bungalow she shares with her parents and brother, she spends considerably more time in her bedroom than many young people spend in theirs.

and if her room has soft and soothing grey walls, a rustic-style wall mural and a comfortable recliner, if it is equipped with a free-standing ikea closet featuring a rod for hanging clothes that she can reach easily from her wheelchair and drawers that glide smoothly, it is because of the fondation espace espoir.

the mission of the charitable organization is to transform the bedrooms of montreal-area children and adolescents who have chronic illnesses or disabilities — at no charge to their families. the goal is to enhance their daily lives “by transforming the space in which they spend most of their time into a bright space that inspires them to stay positive so that they are able to hope and dream,” the foundation’s mission statement says in part.
“sandrine spends so much time in her room,” said her mother, sylvie jacques. “her room is her life — and she is so happy with it now.”

fondation espace espoir was started in 2019 by andrea leber after she stepped back from full-time work in her family’s painting and decorating business, leber et fils .

powered by
canadian centre for caregiving excellence

advertisement

“it’s sort of a labour of love, a way to give back,” she said. “i have all these contacts: paint companies, painters, electricians and carpenters, and i thought that this would be a really fun challenge.”
such foundations are popular in the united states, but are less well known here, leber said.
“it was about using her expertise and resources to help people,” said julie guindon, director of espace espoir.
in families with children who spend a good deal of time in the hospital, parents may simply not have the time to paint or decorate a room, leber and guindon said. and in some cases, families also face financial constraints.
leber meets the families, visits the young people at home and checks out their rooms. they have input into what they want done in their rooms in terms of theme, decor and issues like storage.
in one bedroom, for instance, a new bed features storage to accommodate a child with a small room and many toys. the decor of another bedroom was modified from one suitable for a small child to one better suited to a young adult. in another, a special swing was installed for a boy with autism.
korsos’s bedroom was the first of eight rooms that have so far been decorated. she chose the soft grey to replace the pink on the walls and chose the wall mural, which has a barn wood vibe.
nineteen-year-old sandrine korsos’s bedroom was the first of eight rooms that have so far been decorated by espace espoir, a foundation that renovates bedrooms for children and adolescents with chronic illnesses or disabilities.
nineteen-year-old sandrine korsos’s bedroom was the first of eight rooms that have so far been decorated by espace espoir, a foundation that renovates bedrooms for children and adolescents with chronic illnesses or disabilities. dave sidaway / montreal gazette
powered by
obesity matters

advertisement

it’s a pleasant, inviting room, with her snow globe collection on display and a poster of her favourite habs player, brendan gallagher, on one wall. the two met during a visit by some of the team members to the montreal children’s hospital in 2019, when korsos was a patient. a student at the place cartier adult education centre in beaconsfield, she is not only a hockey fan but also a player: she plays sledge hockey, an adaptation of ice hockey designed for players who have a physical disability.

the fondation espace espoir has also refreshed two of the five rooms at the angelman respite centre with new wall decorations, a new duvet and, in one room, a wall mural with a jungle theme. “it’s the kids’ favourite room,” said sophie dubé, a co-founder of the centre and director of the quebec angelman foundation, which raises funds for the pierrefonds-based weekend respite centre.

leber et fils is the biggest sponsor of the fondation espace espoir, supplying all the paint and labour. those who work on the projects — the painters, the carpenters and others — are all professionals who donate their time. because much of what is incorporated into the redecoration projects is purchased, the foundation also relies on financial donations.

the covid-19 pandemic has made it a challenge to generate interest or fundraise but the hope is that this will change as things open up, guindon said.

advertisement

to be considered, families must live within 30 kilometres of the foundation’s côte-des-neiges rd. office and have a child between the ages of four and 17 with a chronic illness or a disability. proof is required, in the form of a letter from a child’s health professional or school, and applications are reviewed by leber and guindon.
“i have seen how paint can transform a space,” leber said. “just going in with a coat of paint, changing the bedding and organizing the storage space can make a world of difference.”

at a glance

to learn more about the espace espoir foundation, to request a room renovation, volunteer or make a financial contribution, visit espaceespoir.org  or call 514-739-1088.

sschwartz@postmedia.com
susan schwartz, montreal gazette
susan schwartz, montreal gazette

we used typewriters when i started at the gazette, and big black rotary phones. nearly everyone smoked. today’s newsroom looks different but the work – reporting and informing my readers – remains constant and rewarding. i am grateful to my adviser at mcgill, where i was a neurobiology major, for steering me to journalism. undoubtedly, he realized i wasn’t cut out for neurobiology.

read more about the author

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.