On December 1, 2025, the Fondation du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine in Montreal launched the 18th edition of its Grand Sapin.
The Grand Sapin is a fundraising event in support of mother-and-child care at CHU Sainte-Justine, and is represented by the illumination of Christmas lights on the hospital’s tree.
This year, Sainte-Justine is hoping to light 575,000 lights on its Grand Sapin, and each $5 donation will light one…
“No child should have to spend the holidays in hospital. The Big Tree, a symbol of hope and solidarity, is essential for all of them. By turning on the lights in the Big Tree, the community brings comfort to those who need it most. Each donation also supports exceptional talent and state-of-the-art infrastructures, paving the way for breakthroughs in research and care for thousands of young patients from all over Quebec” – Delphine Brodeur, President and CEO of the Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation.
The faces of the 18th edition
The faces of this edition are children who, because of the illnesses they have faced, have had to spend a lot of time at the UHC in recent years.
Their journey is representative of the care they receive at Sainte-Justine, and the quality of care the hospital will continue to provide.
- Jacob, 3, from Nord-du-Québec, is in remission from a rare leukemia, thanks to an experimental treatment identified at Sainte-Justine.
- Jennily, 10, from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, has regained her childhood thanks to the good care she received at Sainte-Justine since her first weeks of life, and to a liver transplant performed two years ago.
- Baptiste, 16, from Mauricie, recovered from a serious fire that caused third-degree burns over 45% of his body.
- Jordanne, 18, from Lanaudière, has lived with a severe form of Crohn’s disease since early childhood, and is actively involved in research at Sainte-Justine.
How to donate?
From December 1 to 11, you can “buy a light” for $5 each online or in person.
- online: at legrandsapin.org
- in person: at the checkout in Metro supermarkets
Every day, the Grand Sapin will light up a little more – and it’ll be broadcast live on Rythme FM radio from Monday to Thursday.