The REA Foundation: Essential help I was recently one of 15 people to be awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the Fondation RÉA. Since the annual scholarship program was launched in 2021, twenty-seven people with a motor, language or sensory disability have been able to pursue their studies. I have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Due to this...
A future physician paying it forward When I was just 7 years old, I started going to the Centre de réadaptation en déficience physique Raymond-Dewar with my parents when my severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hypoacusis was detected. The specialists there took charge right away. They recommended that I either learn sign language or get a...
Turning a crisis into a challenge! On June 6, 2021, I had a serious accident during my first ever parachute jump. I’d just turned 18. A sudden strong wind caused me to crash land. The result: I broke my back, with a spinal cord injury, and became paralyzed from the hips down. I spent the next three weeks at the hospital, where I had surgery to...
I regained my autonomy and quality of life Fifteen years ago, when I was a teenager, an accident left me paralyzed and put me in a wheelchair. While I regained a degree of autonomy over the years, I wanted to achieve some very specific goals so, ten years after the incident, I decided to embark on rehabilitation. I wanted to be able to move out...
When crisis gives way to victory and hope From December 2020 to February 2021, I was a patient at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal (IRGLM) following a serious motorcycle accident on November 7. A truck driver, who’d fallen asleep at the wheel, collided with me, injuring me so seriously that in the minutes that followed I...
Learning how to walk again…one step at a time In October 2020, I was hospitalized for six lumbar hernias that had become so intense and painful that I could no longer function normally. I was suffering from spondylodiscitis, a severe infection of several intervertebral discs. The infection was so bad that I went into septic shock during surgery...
Crucial support for a family hit by the unexpected When my son was in daycare, I noticed that he didn’t express himself as well as the other children. In December 2019, he had a hearing test that revealed moderately severe deafness. I didn’t know anything about this condition. In my mind, a person was either deaf or not. I had no idea that there...
A team effort helped me regain my independence With the help of IRGLM’s specialists, I overcame a quadruple amputation Today, the REA Foundation needs you to help people during their rehabilitation following an accident, illness, etc. In the summer of 2017, when I was 36 years old, my life changed due to a group A streptococcal infection...
Many years ago, at the age of four, I got poliomyelitis. I was immediately sent to Hôpital Pasteur (which no longer exists), in Montréal. For nine months, I was paralyzed from the neck down. No one knew if my body would ever return to normal.
Specialists who are compassionate, flexible, inspiring and always kindhearted The Centre de réadaptation Raymond-Dewar quickly became a very precious ally. In January 2018, when our children started receiving help from the Centre de réadaptation Raymond-Dewar, they were facing several language and motor skills challenges. Alexis, 8 years old,...
Impelled by the motivation of nine professionals Vadim Korenblit found his way back to a normal life after a stroke and coma. I’m Aron Korenblit. The story I’m going to tell you does not end in tragedy or death. It’s not about superheroes as such. Only ordinary people with tranquil, well-ordered lives. This story is the story of my father, Vadim,...
Returning to his passions and…rediscovering the will to live With the support of the IRGLM, David Brown rebuilt his life from scratch. In May 2020, my life was turned upside down in a matter of seconds when my car smashed into another vehicle. After that, I blacked out—I don’t remember a thing. It was the middle of the pandemic, and I was...
Getting his life and his autonomy back And yet, Nicolas Steresco thought nothing would ever be the same again On April 15, 1998, a little motorcycle outing changed my life forever. At the time, I was pretty reckless, and I lost control. The result was a severe head injury and a fractured left tibia and fibula. After four months in hospital, I...
Starting from zero In January 2020, Stéphanie Ratté was pregnant and the mother of an 18-month-old girl when her life was turned upside down in a matter of days. Thankfully, the Parents Plus Clinic came to her rescue with material, psychological and parental assistance. At the age of 31, Stéphanie Ratté was dividing her time between her work as a...
Regaining quality of life after an amputation When Pierre Drouin decided to amputate his left foot at the age of 64, he took the first step towards complete recovery and a better life. I was born with a neurological problem, called neuropathy, in my left foot that caused repeated and uncontrollable infections. In November 2020, I met with a...
Regaining what I thought I’d lost After a traumatic event that left me completely deaf, I was able to recover my hearing thanks to the specialists at the IRD and their constant presence. With their help, I regained a quality of life that I thought I’d lost forever. This is the story of how hope became a happy reality. On June 10, 2019, on my way...
Hard work and lots of love saved me After an accident that almost cost him his life, Normand Talbot put his fate in the hands of the experts at the Institut de réadaptation de Montréal. The happy outcome is a testament to his incredible will and the quality care he received. This is the story of a true survivor. On August 17, 2007, at the age of...
When support brings renewed hope and confidence Marie-Josée Blais often thought of herself as a “lost cause,” but is now savouring her autonomy. Today, thanks to the care and guidance of experts, Marie-Josée Blais can accomplish her life projects, engage in social causes and explore her artistic talents. But for a long time, this 39-year-old...
The story of a survivor After a long and difficult journey, Éveline Claire Nguepi expresses her gratitude. Originally from Cameroon, Éveline-Claire Nguepi, a physician by training, immigrated to Canada with her family in 2012. She was 39 years old. Less than two years after her arrival, she went into a hospital and came out a paraplegic....
Learning to really listen to your body Suffering from intense physical pain,Véronique Pagé received immediate care,and so much more. I have had cerebral palsy since birth and have always had to use Canadian crutches:also called "forearm crutches" because of the way they are used Although very practical, this tool is very demanding on the physical...
Ten days before he was born, Evan’s diagnosis hit us like a ton of bricks: he was completely deaf in both ears. First, it was shock, disbelief and pure emotion. But very quickly, we swung into action and surgery was proposed for two cochlear implants. In 15 minutes, the decision was made. The best decision I could have made for my son, his...
In 2005, while I was jogging, I felt a partial loss in my field of vision. Worried, I consulted several specialists, to no avail. Then, I saw a newly graduated optometrist who detected the first signs of multiple sclerosis. I was in shock. At that time, I was 24, an accomplished professional, a communications consultant for the government. It was...
I look back, less than two years ago, to that day at the Régates de Valleyfield hydroplane race, surrounded by friends, living life to the fullest, and eagerly awaiting the birth of my son, Logan. It was a hot day. There was a long dock. I dove in. But I was fooled by the length of the dock. The water was barely two feet deep and I ended up a...
On March 12, 2007, at the age of 26, my life was turned upside down after a serious accident. A carpenter by trade, I fell and severed my spinal cord, leaving me a paraplegic. Nine days later, the six most life-changing weeks of my life began at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal. From our very first meeting, <>...