From friends

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Our younger son Olivier moved to China from Canada in February to join Bacchus Wines as Sales Manager, and was just getting to know and coming to like his new, young boss, Xavier Tondusson, when the dreadful accident occurred.

We were in Italy on holiday at the time of the tragedy and we were shocked and deeply saddened when Olivier telephoned us with the news. He had accompanied Xavier through that fateful previous night, in the ambulance and then at the hospitals, and our son will never forget the trauma and grief of that awful night.

That Sunday, we had lunch in the countryside between Lucca and Pisa, and then walked up a country road into the village of Coselli. Although neither of us is formally religious, we went into the ancient, tiny church in the village and lit candles for Xavier, and prayed for him with a heaviness of heart that only parents can feel for other parents who are suffering on behalf of their children in the face of random tragedy.

Our hearts go out to Marie-Christine and François—and of course to Frances, who is, as can be seen from the blog, such a devoted and loving companion to Xavier.
We have been back home in Canada since late April, and have continued, from Montréal, to follow the evolution of Xavier’s condition. Currently, things would appear to be miraculously more optimistic and we hope and pray that these favourable developments may continue and that things will develop further in the right direction.

We think of Frances and the Tondusson family often—indeed, we have probably never been so deeply concerned with the lives of people whom we have not even met.

We salute the courage and resilience of all of you, and pray that the miracles will continue and that Xavier may arise again, to fulfill his dreams and his potential.
Cordiales salutations à vous tous, bonne chance à Xavier, et beaucoup de bon courage pour la suite des évènements. Nous sommes pleinement solidaires avec vous.


Martin & Celia Baenninger
Westmount, Québec (Canada)