Trainer Marc-Andre Blouin may not be one of the big names at Woodbine Racetrack, but he is well-known for the care he gives his horses. Blouin rarely uses Lasix and is a staunch barefoot advocate, believing that going barefoot encourages healthy growth and allows his horses’ hooves to work as shock absorbers. One of his charges, the filly, Erie Breeze, is owned by Mike and Lorraine Fletcher who sought out Blouin after hearing about his reputation as a trainer who works in the best interest of the horses he trains.
Last May, Blouin awoke with a swollen right leg. What at first doctors believed was a blood clot, turned out to be a tumour attached to six vital organs.
Initially, because the cancer was so widespread, doctors weren’t prepared to operate. However, a surgeon at Toronto General Hospital decided to take on Blouin’s case. After three operations and a medically-induced coma, over a nine-day period, followed by a difficult recovery, Blouin is now cancer-free.