Elementary student with brain tumour takes classes at Montreal Children’s Hospital

The Montreal Children's Hospital is a classroom for many young patients going through complicated treatments.

Theodore Mook’s favourite subject is math. He says his mind just gets it.

“For some reason, me, I like to play around with numbers,” he said.

Mook is one of those who would normally be doing his work at school with his friends, but he is among the students whose classroom is the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Mook is 11 years old and has a brain tumour.

He spends hours at a time at the hospital for treatment.

“Usually, I sometimes stay between two and four hours here,” he said.

Mook is one of many young patients being taught by the hospital’s on-site teachers.

Sometimes they are in a makeshift classroom, and other times the teachers come to the patients’ bedside.

“We try to establish a schedule,” said teacher Peter Tsatoumas. “And I think, it’s reassuring. I think, to the kids, sometimes that they’re not missing out on anything and the fact that we’re here.”

Tsatoumas says class is roughly an hour a day, and the lessons follow the curriculum.

This is a relief for Mook’s mom.

“To have this option here, to have the teacher... And because it’s one-on-one, then he can focus also on what is harder for him,” said Caroline Paulhus. “It’s a big comfort.”

While each lesson helps Mook stay on track, his family says that the treatment will hopefully be completed by the end of the year.

This means that he will be heading back to school in January.

Mook says that although he likes the one-on-one classroom at the Children’s, there are some things that the hospital just can’t replace.

“I actually miss my friends,” he said.