Climbing guide Benjamin Paradis has been intubated and is on a ventilator in an Alberta hospital ICU. Benjamin is a loving father, husband and son and is a much-respected member of the Canmore climbing community and Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
He earned his master’s in political science and spent time in China as a language student before settling in Canmore to pursue a guiding career. He’s a highly accomplished climber who’s climbed classics in Patagonia, Morocco, French Alps, Greece, Mexico, Rockies, Switzerland and more.
His wife, Jocelyn, wants everyone to know how special he is and the struggle that lies ahead. The two have a two-year-old son, Théo. “I would like people to send him positive and healing thoughts,” said Jocelyn who cannot visit the hospital, as no one is allowed to be next to a patient’s bedside during the pandemic. Benjamin’s parents are Raymond Paradis and Diane Blouin, they are based in Terrebonne, Quebec
Benjamin has had six negative covid-19 tests, so it’s highly unlikely that he has covid-19. “The doctors are perplexed by what he could have,” said Jocelyn. “They have run many tests and they’ve all come back negative so far. The doctors are looking to all sorts of other possibilities from rare things to redoing tests that came back negative.”
If anyone that has been in contact with Benjamin and has suffered from any unusual symptoms such as respiratory problems or covid-19, please contact brandon@gripped.com to inform Jocelyn.
“It’s breaking me to not be able to hold his hand and talk to him,” said Jocelyn. “That being said the doctors, nurses and support staff (minus the peace officers that tried to get us to leave while we just sat outside his window) are being incredibly gracious and hardworking in these unusual circumstances.”
Keep Benjamin and his family in your thoughts during these tough times. “I love him so much and know he’ll come out of this because he is healthy, fit, well-loved and tenacious,” said Jocelyn.
