59 replies to this topic

[Caledor]

The Red Heads recently posted and interview of Maman Dion with Denis Levesque on Quebec TV, on April 13rd.

She mainly talks about René's and Daniel's passings, gave details of what/when/where ... She also talks about RC at the funeral, and her own character (how she takes care of many people, including her husband, and her mother-in-law). Then a few words about her Foundation.


<iframe src="https://www.facebook...xt=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>


Here below is the English translation I made. I need to say that in this interview, they are quite often talking at the same time, and Maman Dion sometimes reformulates her phrases, or starts a phrase and then another... it is really oral French, sometimes difficult to write down. I did the best I could !



Denis Levesque: Maman Dion how are you ?

Maman Dion: I’m good.

DL: I invited you I don’t how many times, 4-5 times, and I always loved it. I love to have you on my tV show.

MD: And I’m very happy to be invited, it gives me the opportunity to talk to you.

DL: Yes I know you’re watching my TV show, you can’t talk to me when you’re watching …haha

MD: Haha

DL: And how are you, it wasn’t easy the last few months…

MD: No, but you know I am, how can I say I always in my life… I love life, I love people, I like to do some humor, I love to laugh and I love to work.

DL: So you could rebound and laugh shortly after the death of your son and your son-in-law…

MD: Listen, my son it was for 6 years that we were taking care of him, at the hospital, and at home. I forgo to go to Florida because I went to see him, I came back , because I was in Laval and he was in Repentigny, so … as I’m growing old, I don’t drive my car anymore, so I need to ask for help , and I don’t like to do this. I don’t like to ask, but it happened that I wanted to go to see Céline for Christmastime & New Years. I went to Florida with my daughter who lives next to me, and we said “we go to make him his lunch”, and I could see my little loved ones, I always call them “my little loved ones”, the twins, and at the end it made me good to go to see them, we did not stay long, about 3-4 days, then I wanted to see my son who diminished little by little ..

DL: So you understood that both of them diminished more quickly than expected

MD: It was not expected, we were really looking after them, but it was the same thing, throat cancer. We were by Celine’s, so we thought “we won’t stay long by Denise”, so that I can return to see (René) and at the end the flight was booked for Tuesday morning, and suddenly my daughter comes into the room and says (Denise) “Mummy Mummy we just received a call…” So we just received a call from my son who just called to say “say to Mummy that Daniel is in coma”.

DL: So you were… you needed to help Celine, and you were told that your son is in coma ?

MD: Yes. This was on … on… on… the 26^th… So we took the plane…. He was in the palliative housecare because two days before he had signed… there were two of his brothers who took care of him at the hospital , to get his medicine, there was a health maid who came at his house , you understand…

DL: He was well taken care of…

MD: Yes, he was well taken care of, it lasted since 6 years, that he was fighting his third cancer …

DL: It was as if he was letting go…

MD: Yes. So then when we arrived there he was in the coma, and on Friday, we received a call from Las Vegas that Denise… that René had died during the night .

DL: This was not expected …

MD: It was not expected, not at all, not at all ! and that René had died during the summer… during the night sorry, and that my son … the whole family was around him, around his bed , event if he was in the coma … he died at 5:00 am, there were just a few hours between him and René….

DL: What kind of emotions… you must have been overwhelmed by emotions … all this at the same time.

MD: Emotions, yes, but I’m capable to get around my emotions…

DL: When we saw you at René’s funeral, we saw that you were solid …

MD: Yes

DL: And Celine was solid yoo, because we think that she spent one hour or two with the public but she stayed the whole day

MD: I tell you that … not all my daughters, some of them are like me, and Céline kept those things for herself, and when we meet sometimes just me and her, we talk… we understand each other, because we don’t show our emotions, I will not go and cry before some people, people who are down, people who suffer, no, I will accompany this person, help this person, you understand, like my husband.

DL: So this is in your nature, you were there

MD: Yes

DL: you are the patriarch, the matriarch, I don’t know if we can say that but they needed to count on you.

MD: Yes.

DL: And Céline counted on you in this moment.

MD: Yes. Yes. She came to see her brother in the coma, and everything (I think she is talking about René’s funeral) was done here in Montreal

DL: Yes, we all saw that in the newspaper. What surprised me was the solemnity of Rene-Charles, he was really strong…

MD: Yes. I love him so much, this child; yes, and he wrote those things himself (his speech at the funeral). At this moment I had a heavy heart, but I didn’t want to show it, you understand, I took deep breaths, and was saying to myself “how good-looking he is, how he speaks well”. And sometimes he went to his father’s room to kiss him, and took care of his things, and I found him good (in a good shape), really good.

DL: He impressed us all, many people said it, even said “he will take the place of René”, between Aldo and René there won’t be much time, he will succeed to his father…

MD: You know, he just turned 15.

DL: Do you see him, do you think he can take it ?

MD: Yes, but I don’t think so. But you see Celine is 48.

DL: Don’t you think she will sing until she’s 75 ?

MD: No.

DL: No ?

MD: No. it’s not my age, but I still sing.

DL: Hahaha. But you don’t sing in Las Vegas !

MD: No no no, I sing at home. But I miss music, because my children they did music at home , and at this time I don’t have anybody left, I’m alone (I think she means I live alone). So I do my own music.

DL: Yes, so now you are alone, meaning that everybody learned about the death of your son, of René, and now life resumes its course, and Céline goes back to Las Vegas, did you see her show on TV or were you in Las Vegas when she took back the stage after René’s death ?

MD: No, I saw her before, because I was there in January.

DL: Yes, but did you see her on stage since she came back (after René’s death) ?

MD: No. no.

DL: So, she went back on stage, and you, how is it going, did you have a mourning, a period of grieveing, from all this ?

MD: Grieveing, I do it in my room when I’m alone. I’m like this, and always have been like this. It’s like when I took care of my husband during one year at home, for cancer, so during one year, put him in a chair, put him in bed, lifting him myself, during one year I did it, and I never cried, or said “oh what a pity”, no, to me pity it’s not this.

DL: When you had a breakdown, you went into your room ?

MD: Yes, when… it’s like one time, a few hours before he died, there was a little bed next to him, and there needed to be someone, and… at about 5:00am he got up to go to the toilet, sitting in his chair, falling asleep, and I wait, and one moment he comes out, he stays in his chair, and I go round his bed go to see him ask “what is it?” and I said “wait, I will take off the blankets, put a warmer one”, and I sewed his blankets myself so that they were warm and at his taste . and then he said “no no take me in my  (I think his armchair, but not sure)    on the other side.” And I put a blanket over his legs, to keep him warm, and then he said “I’m hungry”, and I was like “why, it is only 5:30am” he said “yes, gave me my medicine, and I’m hungry” so I understood there was something going on, so I went to the kitchen , and I called “Denise” because I knew her room was not far “come down I need…”, I needed someone to see how it happens; so she came down, and she said “I will go talk to him” I went to say to ???? to come down to eat together. During this time I go sit with him (Adhemar) and I saw that he was like … he said “you know Therese, I am tired, I cannot drive anymore, I see you that you do this, do that, “ and said “ you know it’s normal” he said “no, you see, I’m here in a chair, it’s you who wash me, who put me to bed” I saw it coming, I wanted to encourage him,

DL: He was announcing that he was leaving…

MD: And he was saying “being like that, that’s useless, I prefer to go (meaning die)”. I looked at him in the eyes and said “if I were you, I would say the same thing. So I give you the permission to go”. One hour after he was gone.

DL: One hour after ? you said “you can go” and he went.

MD: Yes.

DL: Now you are 89 years old ?

MD: Yes 89.

DL: You saw many people die. Jeannette Bertrand not too long ago wrote a book about aging and talking about “the old”. How do you feel at 89 ? Do you still feel strong, do you still have projects

MD: Yes. I have projects. But I will tell you it’s a bit difficult, because even if my brain is ok, my body tricks me. But I have a good doctor, a good cardiologist, but it does not bother me.

DL: You accepted that your body …

MD: Yes this is the acceptation, I love life, but life gives hard moments, but I go through. And I won’t sit and wait for another hard time, no. So I have my foundation, and I talk a lot about it, to rise money for it…

DL: So you are very active, you are able to turn the page. This is resilience, that after big emotions we were talking about deaths, you are able to turn the page and …

MD: Yes. I have this though (hard times and big emotions), when I think about my son (Daniel) and René, I saw them diminishing, you know when you see your son 6 days in the coma, this is not beautiful to see, but I stayed days sitting next to him, then I had to leave the room for his treatments and then I came back into his room… this is .. how can I say… some people cry for nothing. I cannot cry for nothing, but I don’t know… I am like this, you understand? I always took care of someone.

DL: You need to take care of someone, this is why I like to call you “Maman Dion” , there is something in this name, you take care of the people, you like this, it is in your nature.

MD: Yes, it is for many years now, I always dis this, I tell you, I was working in a restaurant, Céline was at school, others were married, little Jacques went to school, and I was working at the restaurant. One day, my sister-in-law, sister of my husband, called me and said “Thérèse you will tell Adhémar that we will go to my mother, we will talk to her, she fell, and we want to place her (put her in a nursing home).” So I told my husband. It was Sunday, and she said (to Adhemar) “you come with me”. But he never wanted (to place his mother). My husband was like this. He was like this.

DL: He let you take care of his mother…

MD: (she is talking about taking care of her mother-in-law) Yes, and sometimes (I told my sister-in-law) “you can do this” she said “but no I never did this” I said “no, you never did, but you will do it, and I know you are able to do it well”, and then she did, and did well, you know, we build a home the two of us, with fourteen hands, so …

DL: You still have energy, you are willing to do things

MD: Yes, and then, I said, “you have two houses” and I let them talk, the sister and brother in law who was involved in everything, and my husband was not talking. And when they left they come to say to Adhémar “we will find a place in a home, you will stay alone (meaning not living with the mother-in law) she was 74, not really old, today it is not old, and at the end, they left, and she took my arm (Therese’s sister in law) and said “Thérèse don’t let them do this I don’t want to!” I said ok, all good. So we left. The day after, because it was on Sunday, Monday morning I go to work, I was working with Claudette, and I said “what a pity”, she is not my mother, but…

DL: You did not want to let her be placed in a nursing home

MD: No, so I took a taxi, went to her, and said “pack your things, I take you to my home”.

DL: So you took her ?

MD: Yes of course I took her to my house, I gave her my room, I went to my children’s room, my husband, me and the children upstairs, so I kept her at home nearly two years. I took care of her, even if I was working, I washed her, and the last time I said to the doctor, she had a widespread cancer. She was 5 days in the hospital, and then she died.

LD: Maman Dion, I adore you. Sincerely,… now you are working in your foundation, for people you cannot afford to get well equipped to go to school (foundation gives free glasses, clothes and school supplies), it works quite well…

MD: Yes, but it is difficult. It is very difficult, because last year, I opened 6000 requests,   this year, with all that happened, I stepped back a little bit, and we have … volunteers who come to help

LD: Time is flying, you have more and more requests, it would take you more and more help, so people wanted to contribute to your foundation

MD: It is true that, they are asking, and us, with retired professors who come to help to prioritize, what is good, what is not … because …

LD: Maman Dion, we need to stop here, this is all the time I have, but, but, I really appreciadted that you took the time, you made it to here, for my 10^th birthday (of this show) I am really happy. Thank you

MD: Thank you to you !

[chocolatechip15]

Thank you so much for the translation!

[stevo]

Very interesting and what a life she has lived! She's incredible. Thank you for translating x

[yellowrose14]

I know that was a job to translate-so thanks!   She is such a strong woman; she just goes in and does what she has to do for others.  I wish I were more like this.

[Oisbird]

I started to watch the interview but I couldn't copy after a while. She starts a sentense to jump to another one, and the French canadian isn't easy sometimes to understand even for a French native, so I just stop watching.
I do understand that it wasn't easy for you to translate, anyway, great job. Thanks.

Edited by Oisbird, 26 April 2016 - 02:16 PM.

[sayyed]

Wow this was powerful. I almost cried when she talked about Adhemar wanting to go and her giving him permission. She's an inspiration. And I see so much of her in Céline.

[dawn]

Thank you Caledor for the translation.

[Caledor]

Oisbird, on 26 April 2016 - 02:14 PM, said:

I started to watch the interview but I couldn't copy after a while. She starts a sentense to jump to another one, and the French canadian isn't easy sometimes to understand even for a French native, so I just stop watching.
I do understand that it wasn't easy for you to translate, anyway, great job. Thanks.

I totally agree with you. She often starts a sentence and then another... It isn't easy to follow.

Thanks to all of you for your thanks. This is the first time I post a translation. My mother tongue is French, but I am fluent in English (I worked a year in London, amazing!).

I found this interview very interesting and intimate. So I thought I will translate it to share with you who don't understand French easily.

Envoyé de mon D2203 en utilisant Tapatalk

[nuts2you]

thank you, for doing that for us, now just cant wait to her what celine has to say.

[Frenchie]

WOW! Thanks for the translation!

Quite interesting to read about Momma Dion! This is the stuff we don't hear in the English side of Celine. Strong, strong woman! All I can say!

[DionFanAlways]

Thank you very much

[CelineDionFreak]

Thanks for the translation! I loved reading it, and it's really interesting seeing what Maman thinks and has to say!

[kevincheung410]

Thank you Caledor for the translation.

[drove all night]

Oh Caledor!!! Thank you sooooo much for the translation. Must have been a heck of alot of effort. Mainly this Canadian French and as you and others mentioned the confusing, unfinished sentences of "our" beloved Maman Dion.

[Angel2006]

Thanks for the translation. Maman Dion is such an incredible woman. So many of her qualities were carried down to Celine. I see so many of the same qualities in both of them. Reading this and knowing how similar Celine's personality and her mother's personality is makes me realize that Celine will be okay.

Celine and her mother both push through life's obstacles and come through them stronger and more appreciative of what they have. They always see the bright side of things, even when something might look so hopeless and sad for some, they see the positive in it. They somehow find the strength and happiness within themselves to carry on living with joy and gratitude for life and it's many blessings!

[Celcool]

So many people around Celine died from cancer. I'm worried about her, especially since Rene-Charles once said in Oprah clip that he's eating right and had bacon in his hand. That is not eating right, that is eating to get sick. I wish Celine educated herself a bit more about what's heathly to eat, cancer doesn't come just from nowhere because you're unlucky, it's mainly because of what you eat.

Celine should read T. Colin Campbell's The China Study.

[celine4evauk]

Celcool, on 27 April 2016 - 05:26 AM, said:

So many people around Celine died from cancer. I'm worried about her, especially since Rene-Charles once said in Oprah clip that he's eating right and had bacon in his hand. That is not eating right, that is eating to get sick. I wish Celine educated herself a bit more about what's heathly to eat, cancer doesn't come just from nowhere because you're unlucky, it's mainly because of what you eat.

Celine should read T. Colin Campbell's The China Study.

Sorry but I have to disagree with you.
Yes your diet can affect things. But it's also down to fitness, smoking, alcohol, cancer genes etc you have, among other things. You can't say a person will get cancer because they eat bacon. Everything in moderation.
Cancer sadly will affect 1 in 3 people. Heading towards 1 in every 2 people. With a family as large as Celine's it's probable it will affect several members of her family in one way or another.

[Celcool]

celine4evauk, on 27 April 2016 - 05:36 AM, said:

Sorry but I have to disagree with you.
Yes your diet can affect things. But it's also down to fitness, smoking, alcohol, cancer genes etc you have, among other things. You can't say a person will get cancer because they eat bacon. Everything in moderation.
Cancer sadly will affect 1 in 3 people. Heading towards 1 in every 2 people. With a family as large as Celine's it's probable it will affect several members of her family in one way or another.

As T. Colin Campbell found in his study, you can have the cancer gene, but eating too much of animal protein activates that gene, there's more chance you get it. He recommends plant-based diet to eliminate the chances. Read his book.

But really since when is bacon eating right? It's all animal fat, in no way healthy. It's just an indication of Dion family thinking and their way of eating, RC also mentioned that he ate smoked meat with Rene which is really bad for you as well.

Edited by Celcool, 27 April 2016 - 05:43 AM.

[celine4evauk]

Celcool, on 27 April 2016 - 05:40 AM, said:

As T. Colin Campbell found in his study, you can have the cancer gene, but eating too much of animal protein activates that gene, there's more chance you get it. He recommends plant-based diet to eliminate the chances. Read his book.

That's the point I made and I quote you "eating too much". Just like the points I just made.

[Marina13]

Caledor, thank you so much for the translation! Bravo, Maman Dion! What a great woman!

[Condor]

I just read Caledor's translation and it is great.I translated the video too and there are a few differences,but they're insignificant.

[nuts2you]

thank you so much for doing this as well,

[chocolatechip15]

Condor, on 04 May 2016 - 05:27 PM, said:

I just read Caledor's translation and it is great.I translated the video too and there are a few differences,but they're insignificant.

Thank you so much, Condor! I love your videos - so glad to see you back!!

[Angel2006]

I am a little confused by what Maman Dion said about the timing of Rene and Daniel's deaths in this interview. Maman Dion said that Daniel passed away at 5:00am and that there were only a few hours between Daniel and Rene's passing.

I thought Rene passed away in the morning on Jan 14th and that Daniel passed 2 days later on the 16th? That's not hours apart, but days apart.

It doesn't matter. I know her point was that they passed very close together and English also isn't her first language, so she might have meant to say days apart. I thought I remembered reading in the statement from Celine's team that Rene passed in the morning though.

I guess he must have passed really early in the morning, during regular sleeping hours. That could be why Maman Dion referred to it as night?

[nuts2you]

Yes your correct, they did pass 2 days apart

[somaltseva]

Condor, Caledor thank you very much for the translation. I deeply admired by this woman and how strong and positive she trying to go through the bad days.

[Lotty]

[comingback]

Even if you don’t speak French, you can surely feel all the love that Celine has for her mother in this video...
Happy Mother’s Day!
- TeamCeline -

[Davey84]

comingback, on 08 May 2016 - 01:25 PM, said:

Even if you don’t speak French, you can surely feel all the love that Celine has for her mother in this video...
Happy Mother’s Day!
- TeamCeline -

Great video!!

Still bummed SA didn't get a good bonus dvd with the making of and the Canadian special

[Alex_Incognito]

What a nice surprise.  I forgot about how good that special was.