Archie MacIsaac-Vacon made me a mother. He was my first-born child. More than being extremely proud of who Archie was becoming, I was in awe of his intellect and motivation. I learned so much from him about the importance of the people around us, dedication to knowledge, and applying our ethical standards to ourselves with rigour. Archie is no longer with us, but he continues to inspire me. I hope by sharing his story and working to make life safer for people like him, you’ll gain some insight into the beautiful human he was and the terrible tragedy of his death.
Charlene Vacon, BA(H), MA, PhD, PCP
Charlene’s bio
Charlene Vacon is a paramedic and drug harm reduction advocate living in Quebec. In June 2019, her 19-year-old son Archie was killed by an inadvertent dose of fentanyl while out having a fun Friday night with his wonderful group of friends. Charlene shares with people who use drugs and their loved ones what she has learned about being safer in the face of the opioid crisis affecting every province in Canada. Charlene holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Communications earned jointly at Concordia University, the University of Montreal and the University of Quebec at Montreal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a Master of Arts, both in sociology from Acadia University. She has worked in paramedic service operation, administration, quality, education and research roles in Quebec and Ontario, as well as in government health policy and regulation in Alberta. Charlene is currently a manager at the Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario and is a member of Moms Stop the Harm, a network of Canadian families whose loved ones died from drug related harm.
Charlene’s alternate bio
Use for audiences where Charlene is talking about Harm Reduction
Charlene Vacon is a paramedic and drug harm reduction advocate living in Quebec. She is intent to share with people who use drugs and their loved ones what she has learned about being safer in the face of the opioid crisis affecting every province in Canada. Charlene holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Communications earned jointly at Concordia University, the University of Montreal and the University of Quebec at Montreal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a Master of Arts, both in sociology from Acadia University. Charlene has worked in paramedic service operation, administration, quality, education and research roles in Quebec and Ontario, as well as in government health policy and regulation in Alberta. She is currently a manager at the Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario and is a member of Moms Stop the Harm, a network of Canadian families whose loved ones died from drug related harm.
Find Charlene on LinkedIn @charlenevacon and Twitter @charlene_vacon.
Charlene’s Personal mission statement:
Begin with the end in mind.
Be proactive. Take responsibility. Offer solutions. Get the job done.
Realize visions.
Do what is good and right.
Be caring.
Seek the counsel of caring, intelligent people.
Be reasonable.
Listen, then talk.
Be curious.
Seek out competence, and reward it.
Improve strengths, mine and others.
Set goals; be disciplined and achieve them.
Smile and laugh.
Celebrate often.
Archie MV 