Hello, my name is Justine Côté, and I’m a 25-year-old young adult. I was born with a heart defect; pulmonary stenosis with transposition of large vessels.
When my mom gave birth to me, she knew immediately that something was wrong, but the doctors said she was exaggerating. However, a few hours after my birth, my parents were told that I had to be rushed to the CHUL Hospital in Quebec City, as my life was in danger. We were more than 8 hours away, as I was born in Gaspé. So, I had my first surgeries within a few hours of life.
From that moment up until my 5th birthday, I lived with a pacemaker. Unfortunately, the wires became infected, and I had to have it removed. In 2009, I received a beef jugular. And in 2016, when I was 17, I had to rush up to Quebec City to have a new pacemaker put in. My heart had become very weak, and my life was in danger.
Despite all these hardships, I can proudly say that I’m now a young adult with a job that allows me to flourish, and I like to keep fit; I run 4 to 6 times a week, as well as taking part in running events and running 5, 10 and even 15 kilometers.
