Earlier this month a horrific tragedy played out in our region. Two young men, Gaetan and Aramis, lost their lives in a car accident.

A region this sprawling sees its fair share of fatal collisions every year, and all too often the victims are young and full of promise. Life can be cruel and unfair a lot of the time, but these incidents seem like . . .

a step beyond. No parent should have to bury their child, but year after year, they do. It’s heartbreaking.

However, even in the midst of something as bleak as that, there is a tiny ray of hope.

Gaetan’s parents have spoken out publicly to bring awareness to the topic of organ donation. They should be commended for their compassion at such a difficult time. It takes a lot of guts to think of others during a crisis. It’s a topic no one likes to think about, but it changes lives.

It’s fitting that a lad who was remembered for helping others finished his life with one final bit of aid for the rest of humanity.

Thanks to the miracle of modern science, some suffering was alleviated with life-saving transplants and tissue donation. It’s a small consolation, a pin prick of light in a sea of darkness, but it’s undeniably a positive.

There’s still more good that can come of this dreadful situation. Some of the people reading this or other stories on this tragedy can make the commitment to donate their organs as well. All it takes is a few strokes of a pen to finalize.

One of the most incredible things about a small, tight-knit region like the Pontiac is the response to hardship. The community comes together to support their neighbours in a difficult time, and this is about as difficult as you can get.

Life is fleeting and precarious, which is why loving others is such a radical act. They can be gone in an instant, leaving wounds that will never fully heal.

Condolences to those that knew and loved these men. May they rest in peace.

Caleb Nickerson