An article published this morning in the Journal de Montréal

Courtesy translation to get to know this touching story.

One year after the death of her daughters, the mother of Norah and Romy wants to become a mother again
The mother of the little girls Norah and Romy Carpentier who were murdered last summer has started her fertility procedures

The mother of little Norah and Romy Carpentier, killed by their father last year after a long run that kept the whole of Quebec on the edge of its seat, has begun fertility procedures in order to start a new family and rediscover the happiness that children bring her.

"I need [children] in my life, it's visceral [...] For me, being a mother is not a choice, it's a vocation," says Amélie Lemieux in a serene voice, almost a year to the day after her two daughters were killed.

All of Quebec mourned the death of the two young girls, aged 11 and 6, murdered in the forest by their father, in Saint-Apollinaire. Martin Carpentier then took his own life.

In a calm and composed voice, the 37-year-old woman explains that she is still "surviving" last summer's tragedy, but that she has chosen to continue living, not only for herself, but also for Norah and Romy.

Even if she has found comfort in recent months with her nine nieces and nephews, it is not enough.

"I need to keep giving baths, shopping for clothes, putting on little feet, getting up at night to pick up a wee-wee in a bed," she says with a smile, because she really misses everything.

"I want to take back the role that has been usurped from me," she proclaims, full of hope.

Surrogate mother, unknown donor

To make this dream come true, Amélie Lemieux must turn to a surrogate mother. In October 2019, she underwent an endometrial ablation to treat problems with excessive bleeding.

The operation does not make her infertile, but pregnancy would be dangerous.

At the time, she felt her family was over.

"And nine months later, I was going through the biggest drama anyone wants to go through," she says.

After a cry from the heart on social networks, she found a wife. If all the tests go well, she could be carrying a child within three weeks, says Ms Lemieux.

The embryos are ready, fertilised with an anonymous donor.

"I don't have any information and I don't want it," she says, having even let the nurse choose it.

The only downside for Ms Lemieux is the threat of closure of the OriginElle fertility clinic, which is accompanying her and offering its services for free. That's why she's speaking out.

In Quebec City, where her eggs were fertilised, the clinic could not continue treatment with a female surrogate.

In Montreal, another clinic refused her outright, saying that the future carrier, who had undergone two caesarean sections and had gestational diabetes, was a risk.

But OriginElle agreed and Ms Lemieux feels safe there. The clinic says it has accepted the carrier because C-sections are no longer contraindications and she has been cleared by obstetricians for a new pregnancy.

New licence applied for

The clinic, run by Dr Seang Lin Tan, a world authority on fertility, has applied for a new permit from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS).

Her agreement with the McGill University Health Centre had expired and she had to join forces with another university centre.

But the MSSS indicated its intention to refuse the permit, judging that the service offer in Montreal was sufficient.

The quality of care is in no way in question, says lawyer Lyanne Winikoff, who is helping the clinic in its efforts.

If the clinic closes next March, Lemieux will follow Dr. Tan to Ontario. But she is asking the government to let women choose their clinic.

Confident, Amélie Lemieux already has names for the two children she would like to welcome and is impatiently waiting for.