Goodbye Shintaïa

It is with regret that we inform you of the passing of Shintaïa Brunelle Rousseau on Sunday, July 7. Shintaïa had been a member of MAIH since 2004 and participated, each year, in the holiday camps and workshops that were offered. It is hard to forget the smile and the joy of life that invaded our premises when Shintaïa arrived at our offices.

To say a last goodbye, we give the floor to those who knew him the most:

Renaud Judic, Associative Life Coordinator:
“I remember Shintaïa during his participation in the MAIH day camp. Besides, how not to remember! Shintaïa gave off such energy that he became contagious! His laughter, his artistic talents that he has shared with us are privileged moments that will remain etched in my memory”.

Liliana Tano, Family Support Coordinator:
“For me Shin, as I often called him, was one of the most memorable members I had the privilege of meeting over the course of time at MAIH. His magical smile and mocking laughter were so pure and contagious. Also, as far back as I can remember Shintaïa has never been interested in the reasons and causes of my physical disability. It’s like he just did not see it. He always came to me with his beautiful smile, gave me a high five and told me about his morning routine, the number of coffees he had drunk, or his passion for trains. At no time did he question me about my disability. I think what he saw in me was just my heart, and my physical body did not matter. And for that I thank him wholeheartedly. I hope he drives a big train where he is and he can drink as many coffees as he wants! Have a good trip Shin and thank you for everything!”

Amélie Guindon, Coodonnator Integration and awareness:
“It is with great emotion and a feeling of unreality that I would like to express my affection for Shintaïa. What an incredible and fascinating human being! I had the enormous privilege of traveling to New York in his company and especially to get to know him better. Watch him on the bus having fun on his iPAD, hear him talk to his aunt more than 20 times a day … Be sitting next to him in a French restaurant and see his taste his beef Bourguignon, give him high fives and tell him he’s great. Hear him answer “Yes” to tourists who wonder if the elevator was broken and to see them take the stairs when the elevators were perfectly functional. Thank you, Shintaïa, for these beautiful bright memories. Your eternal laughter resonates in us forever.”

Marie-Ève Barbeau, Art teacher at Artistic Explorations workshops:
“I had the chance to work with Shintaïa during the Explorations of Art workshops. It was clear that Shintaïa loved to create and had his own artistic approach. I feel privileged to have witnessed him taking pleasure in rubbing paint, writing tags on a canvas and drawing railways. His way of interacting and making contact with others made him very endearing and the memory of him will always make me smile.
I imagine him now in a train, coffee in hand en route to the journey of another life. Have a nice trip Shintaïa”.