Voices of Resilience: The Stories of REA Foundation
Discover inspiring journeys of resilience and rehabilitation through the testimonials of those impacted by the REA Foundation. Each story is a journey towards autonomy and hope.
A fund dedicated to people living with locked-in syndrome
Following its dissolution, the Benoît Duchesne Organization made the generous decision to transfer its remaining funds, $47,330, to the REA Foundation.
The Benoît Duchesne Organization’s mission was to support people affected by locked-in syndrome, a mission that the REA Foundation is committed to carrying forward.
In that spirit, the Marie-Claude Lemieux Fund was established in memory of Marie-Claude Lemieux, who passed away on January 23, 2025, to continue supporting individuals living with locked-in syndrome and their caregivers.
What is locked-in syndrome?
Locked-in syndrome is a rare neurological condition in which part of the brainstem is damaged, causing a disconnection between the brain and the body. Cognitive functions remain intact, but the person experiences near-complete paralysis. The after-effects vary from person to person: some regain certain abilities, while others live with significant long-term limitations. The main causes are stroke or traumatic brain injury to the brainstem.
Who was Marie-Claude Lemieux?
Marie-Claude was 29 years old when her life changed following a stroke. When she was a psychoeducator working at a centre for at-risk youth, she developed locked-in syndrome as a result of the stroke. Her cognitive functions remained intact, but she lost the ability to speak and could barely move. She could hear perfectly and feel touch on her skin, but could not respond to it.
With remarkable resilience, Marie-Claude gradually recovered certain abilities. She passed away on January 23, 2025.
At a meeting held at Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, her parents, Ms. Duchesne and Mr. Lemieux, described Marie-Claude as a woman and mother full of joy, a warm and loving person who drew people to her.
What is the Marie-Claude Lemieux Fund?
Having received care at Institut Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, Marie-Claude was deeply grateful for the quality of support she received there. In her memory, and in keeping with the mission of the Benoît Duchesne Organization, the REA Foundation established the Marie-Claude Lemieux Fund.
All donations collected will be used to benefit patients with lockdown syndrome, whether to fund specialized equipment or services aimed at providing respite to caregivers.
Ms. Duchesne and Mr. Lemieux wished to recognize the exceptional work of the care team who supported Marie-Claude at Institut Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal:
Did you know? Within Quebec’s school system, nearly 1,400 young people live with a hearing impairment.
In the school setting, communication can represent a daily challenge for children and adolescents with hearing loss.
That is why the REA Foundation is proud to have contributed to the production of an awareness-raising video on this topic, shared on the YouTube channel of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.
The video was directed and produced by the BR!GHT Agency, thanks to the financial support of the REA Foundation.
To better understand the daily life of young people living with hearing loss, we invite you to discover this educational video presented by Myriam Dicaire, an audiologist at the Centre de réadaptation en déficience physique Raymond-Dewar. This video concretely illustrates the listening challenges they face at school, especially in noisy environments. It highlights the impact of these obstacles on their comprehension, concentration, and participation in class.
Through clear explanations and examples drawn from everyday life, Myriam offers simple and effective strategies to promote better communication. She also points out the limitations of hearing aids.
This video reminds us that simple actions, such as adapting the way we communicate, being attentive to the sound environment around us, or promoting accessibility,can make a real difference, both at school and in everyday life.
Each year, the Centre de réadaptation (CRDP) Raymond-Dewar welcomes many children and their families who benefit from the services of three different programs, with follow-ups that can be either regular or short-term. For example, in the Deafness program for early childhood, speech therapy and audiology follow-ups take place on a weekly basis.
It was therefore important to create an adequate space to accommodate them at the Rehabilitation Center. Therefore, after the pandemic, a waiting area reserved for parents and their children was established on the ground floor of the Laurier Pavilion at the CRDP Raymond-Dewar. This space plays a key role in facilitating contact and building connections with children and their families.
With this in mind, the Fondation des sourds du Québec and the REA Foundation joined forces to finance the renovation of this waiting area, making it a more welcoming and inclusive space for all disabilities.
Inauguration of the new pediatric waiting room on April 30, 2024.
“We worked to optimize the space to create a warm and welcoming environment. One wall has been covered with a beautiful mural featuring jungle animals. Additionally, we installed a five-foot-long wall toy that allows multiple children to play at the same time. A reading corner for parents and children has also been set up with a bean bag-style couch and a bookshelf containing a diverse selection of books.
An audiologist from the Hearing Impairment program, specializing in children with severe motor disabilities, also consulted users to understand their needs for this waiting room. Thanks to their suggestions, we decided to add an electronically adjustable drawing table. This way, children in wheelchairs can now adjust the table height with the push of a button and enjoy a space designed for drawing.”
Dominique Wright, Head of the 0-25 Deafness and Stuttering Program at the CRDP Raymond-Dewar
Before the renovation
After the renovation
Thanks to this renovation, children now have the space and comfort they need to play, draw, or read while waiting for their appointment.
“Previously, parents often stayed outside and watched their children from the other side of the half-wall in the waiting room. Thanks to this renovation, they are now included in this space and can play with their children. The staff has also confirmed that the children are really enjoying the new waiting room.”
Dominique Wright, Head of the 0-25 Deafness and Stuttering Program at the CRDP Raymond-Dewar
The project is among the nominees at the Célébrons l’excellence gala of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal in the category “Small project with a big benefit for users.”
On September 17, 2024, the REA Foundation contributed to the funding of the end-of-year barbecue, marking the conclusion of the 2024 barbecue season organized by the recreation department of the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal.
This final barbecue provided an opportunity to bring together many patients to celebrate the end of summer with a musical performance. In total, more than 200 patients were served throughout the summer at these events, thanks to the participation of several staff members, including dietetic technicians, kitchen staff, educators, nurses, nutritionists…
“We would also like to thank the REA Foundation and the amazing volunteers who gave their time and energy throughout the summer. Your help was essential to the success of each event, and we are very grateful for your dedication.”
Alessia Fent-Roter, recreation therapist at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal.
For the first time this year, the REA Foundation’s Beneficiary Aid Fund is financing a food support project to provide meal vouchers to patients in precarious situations. Indeed, some patients experiencing food insecurity attend their physical rehabilitation treatment without having eaten enough, which directly impacts their rehabilitation journey, even causing loss of consciousness in some cases.
This is why these vouchers, worth $8.55 each, allow these patients to receive a complete meal including a starter, a main course, a dessert, and a drink at the cafeteria of the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal.
Patients who have benefited from these meals have expressed deep gratitude for this initiative.
A lady, who had not eaten before her therapy, was very moved and thanked us when we offered her a meal voucher. She confided that she hadn’t eaten dessert in years.
There was also a young man who was pale and hadn’t eaten when he arrived at the outpatient clinic. Unable to do his rehabilitation exercises, we offered him a meal which helped him recover from his loss of consciousness.
Testimony from the Head of Food Production and Distribution regarding meal vouchers.
Each year, the team of the Institut Raymond Dewar, which cares for more than 2,200 children with hearing impairments or language disorders, requests our Beneficiary Assistance Fund to finance toy kits adapted to the needs of these children.
These kits, essential for language stimulation and the overall development of the children, are intended for underprivileged families. This tool allows families to continue working on therapy goals while providing enjoyable moments for the children. Several families who have benefited from the kits have expressed deep gratitude to the therapists and the Foundation.
When I gave the material to R.’s mother, she was moved. She repeatedly said ‘thank you very much.’ I suggested she leave a small message for the Foundation, but she couldn’t find the words. She shed a tear and kept repeating ‘Thank you very much!’
As the child left, he said, “I love you.” Coming from a child with a language disorder, “I love you” might have meant: “I’m happy to have new material, thank you for bringing something wonderful for me, I’ll have fun with it,” or perhaps “Thank you for letting me play with a game, draw with crayons, and practice moving my fingers with the material.”.
Testimony of a caregiver during the distribution of one of the kits provided with the support of the Foundation.
The REA Foundation is funding the development of leading-edge practices at the Clinique Parents Plus for parents with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Thanks to a recently established research-clinical collaboration with Carolina Bottari, PhD, a researcher at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation (CIRR), a new leading-edge practice is being developed to respond to the complex needs of parents with both cognitive and physical disabilities. This new practice is specifically designed for individuals living with one of the following diagnoses: traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy.
The REA Foundation is funding the replacements of Auditory Localization Evaluation System (SELA) medical equipment.
SELA makes it possible to evaluate auditory localization abilities, which are essential for ensuring that deafblind users are able to get around safety and autonomously in real-life situations. SELA is used to respond to the needs of deafblind users in the joint Deafblindness Program, as well as of deafblind users in western Quebec who require an evaluation in auditory localization in order to maintain and develop their ability to get around safely and autonomously.
The REA Foundation is funding the participation of the Clinique Parents Plus in the Salon maternité paternité enfants.
By participating in the April 2019 edition of the Salon maternité paternité enfants , the Clinique Parents Plus enabled parents and future parents with disabilities to learn about the clinic and justify their plan to found a family despite a physical disability.
The REA Foundation is funding the purchase of equipment to evaluate, treat and monitor vestibular and neurological patients.
The highly specialized Vestibular Rehabilitation Clinic at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal has developed one of the most enviable reputations in its field of expertise. Vestibular deficit disorders are difficult to treat and require specialized care. Professionals at the Vestibular Clinic help their patients overcome vertigo and dizziness and regain their balance
