We are heartbroken to share with you that Eddy Lefrançois, ALS Canada Ambassador, passed away earlier today – a tremendous loss for the ALS community of a champion, advocate and friend.
Diagnosed with ALS in 1992 with a prognosis of three to five years to live, Eddy became a force within the ALS community, showing the world that he would not be defined by his disease. A rare example of someone who lived well beyond the average life expectancy of someone diagnosed with ALS, Eddy approached each day as an opportunity. In 2013, he defiantly had the date 04.97 tattooed on his arm as a daily reminder of his achievement living beyond his “expiry date.” With no fear in his heart, he travelled around North America and parts of Europe working on his bucket list, rolling across all terrains into adventures that included a Stanley Cup final game, whitetail deer hunt, and indoor skydiving.
Eddy worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the disease and mobilize others to support the cause. In his words, “I may not control the fact that I have ALS, but I control my actions to make people aware that ALS is a terrible disease to live with… anybody can develop it at any time; we have to work together for ‘A Future Without ALS.’”
Even after the disease took away his ability to speak, Eddy used social media and his personal website to connect with people near and far. He was widely seen as a supportive voice and champion to people living with ALS, often being contacted by those across Canada and around the world to share his perspective and experience, along with his motto “let’s roll…”. Quick with a joke and his familiar grin, he was a reminder to all of us to live life with gusto and make every day count.
Farewell, notre ami, we are fortunate to have known you and are grateful for all you have done in support of our shared cause. You will be remembered always. Let’s roll…