Embrun artist turns gratitude into a work of art. Sylvain Séguin, a self-taught wood sculptor, has chosen to express his deep gratitude to the Ottawa Hospital Heart Institute by donating a heart-shaped sculpture created from reclaimed wood.
Mr. Séguin, 53, has lived in Embrun for over 20 years. He has been sculpting exclusively from recycled wood for the past dozen years. On April 4, 2024, he underwent open-heart surgery to receive a mechanical aortic valve, a procedure that saved his life.
In what the sculptor describes as “an extraordinary – and almost miraculous – coincidence”, his sister underwent the same operation, with the same medical team, at the same institute, almost a year later, on April 15, 2025.
“We’re both doing very well today, for which we’ll be eternally grateful,” he says.
Mr. Séguin’s heart condition, a congenital bicuspid aortic valve, had been diagnosed in 2014 by a cardiologist at Hôpital Montfort. This diagnosis marked a turning point in his life and ultimately led to this life-saving operation.
It was in this spirit of recognition that the sculptor and his sister wished to offer the Institute a unique piece: a wooden human heart, carved from the trunk of a lightning-stricken maple tree. Inspired by real anatomy, the sculpture incorporates a golden brass token symbolizing the titanium ring now worn by the artist. The work rests on a base of natural stone, representing resilience, solidity and second life for both the tree and the artist.
“This gift honours the surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, psychologists and every member of your team at the Ottawa Heart Institute and Civic Hospital – our heroes,” he writes in his letter of thanks.
Sylvain Séguin hopes that the sculpture will find a space within the Institute where it can inspire patients, families and staff: “Words are not enough to express all our gratitude.”
