The Projet Laurent – Now online!
The Projet Laurent is a unique multidisciplinary project, INITIATED and co-created by patient partners. Bringing together a multidisciplinary team of experts : immunologist, veterinarian, microbiologists, clinicians, parasitologists anthropologists, sociologists, kinesiologists, psychologist, epidemiologists, zootherapy workers, ethicists, psychologists and of course patients and their families, Projet Laurent will provide evidence on the impact of pet ownership in transplanted and immunosuppressed patients by assessing (a) the risks of zoonosis transmission; (b) the benefits to health in the broadest sense (mental health, exercise, rehabilitation, social reintegration and quality of life). This project aims to provide the evidence to enable transplant patients to safely own pets in order to reap the benefits while minimizing the risk of infection.
Visit the Projet Laurent website here!
About Laurent and Hélène Tessier
At the age of 10, Laurent Tessier received a liver transplant. Receiving chronic immunosuppressive treatment to prevent rejection, Laurent and his family are warned about owning pets. His mother, Hélène Tessier, a veterinarian, aware of the deep attachment and support that their Sushi dog brings to Laurent, wants to evaluate the real infectious risks/benefits of keeping Sushi. Noticing the lack of available information, Hélène contacts the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal to start a project to address this major gap… the Projet Laurent is born!