After more than 60 years of a career in radio, television, and film, Mr. Robert Arcand likes to say he is the dean of radio hosts. Never, in more than eight decades of life, had he been ill. Then, on February 2nd, 2024, a major heart attack that required two cardiac surgeries to get his heart “back on its feet” changed the life of the octogenarian.
“This event,” he recounted, “transformed my perception of the hospital environment and, above all, introduced me to the exceptional dedication of the care teams at the Montreal Sacré-Coeur Hospital. I spent 33 days there, during which I observed their daily lives, their tireless energy, and their humanity toward each of the patients in their care.
“I will never forget the morning, at 8 a.m., when a code blue was announced on the floor. I witnessed true teamwork: total cohesion, controlled calm, and absolute commitment to saving a life. No film set, no movie scene could ever do justice to that level of intensity. It was real life—the life we desperately try to preserve while others, like me, wait their turn to enter the operating room.”
In his eyes, cardiac surgeons and their teams are miracle workers. They carry a heavy responsibility on their shoulders, yet he never sensed any hesitation or fatigue—only skill, rigor, and heart, in the most human sense of the word.
To get through this period of uncertainty and cope with the stress of the procedures, he wrote a book with his partner, Sylvie Pépin: Arcand cardiaque, cœur à cœur à Sacré-Cœur. In it, he sincerely recounts the highlights of his stay, but above all, pays tribute to those who cared for him day and night and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to his recovery. The book’s profits are also donated to the Foundation as a token of gratitude for their invaluable work.
“Through my conversations with orderlies, nurses, and staff members, I discovered a demanding reality: one floor, 24 patients—and yet, always a smile, always attention, always that desire to help someone, even while running from one room to another. These women and men are precious. I deeply appreciate them. And honestly, a thousand thanks will never be enough. Today, I know that if I am still here, it is thanks to them,” he concluded.