Good news for Marchildon family

Several weeks ago, a number of West Islanders came together to organize benefit events and raise funds to support the family. Joe also created www.helpella.com to publicize his wife’s story and garner support. He told The Chronicle that, while RAMQ will cover the procedure in full, there may still be additional costs such as travel, accommodation, meals, and possible follow-up visits to the clinic in Washington his family will have to pay for.

“We will ask all of the volunteers who have helped with the fundraising to continue and, if at the end of the day we’re fortunate enough to have anything left over, we can a) give it to another charity, b) we can keep this fund up and running if someone may need it in the future, or c) she may have to go down there again,” Joe said, adding the April 16 Comedy for a Cause at Bourbon Street West is still on.

Blue Sunshine Music -- a local entertainment management company and organiser of the WISH (West Islanders Sing the Hits) competition at Cheevzz Resto Pub that Ella had been competing in before her cancer returned – is also holding fundraisers on April 10 at McKibbins West Island and at Momesso Caffé on April 19.

Blue Sunshine Music’s Janet Campeau said she and artist Robert Stefan had a “lightbulb moment” the other day and have decided to record a benefit CD. The album will feature a song for Ella written by Stefan.

Campeau said Stefan was in the studio recording all day Wednesday, and MeggaMedia, a Montreal CD and DVD manufacturer, has offered to produce 1,000 copies of the album free of charge.

“All the proceeds will go to Ella. We’re very excited about this. It’s absolutely amazing a complete stranger would do this” Campeau said of the manufacturer’s donation. She added the album will be available at the Blue Sunshine Music fundraising events in April. “It’s unbelievable what can be done when you have goodwill.”

For more on Ella’s story and upcoming events, visit www.helpella.com.