Paralyzed Montreal firefighter to finally undergo eye surgery after accessibility gaps

A Montreal man living with disabilities after suffering a stroke three years ago has just found out that he will be able to undergo surgery for cataracts.

Following a story by CTV News about Michael Lavigne’s plight, a transport company in the eastern Ottawa area, Salutem, reached out to offer to take him to a clinic for testing in September.

This comes after Lavigne, a former Montreal firefighter, was told that there wasn’t a clinic that could accommodate his bulky medical equipment, preventing him from getting preliminary testing ahead of surgery.

• READ MORE: Paralyzed Montreal firefighter unable to get eye surgery due to accessibility gaps

He had originally been scheduled for cataract surgery before his stroke, but now bedridden, Lavigne requires a lift to sit up and a special ambulance to leave the house.

Though his brain functions normally, his speech is limited, and he struggles to articulate his thoughts.

He is cared for full-time by his mother and sister, as well as a CLSC nurse who visits him at home.

“Each hospital said the same thing, that they can do the surgery, but that the testing had to be done at an outside facility,” explained his mother, Connie Auger. “They then gave me the numbers to call these facilities, and when I explained his condition and the severity of his paralysis, they said they could not help him because he cannot sit by himself.”

Once the tests are complete, Lavigne is expected to be scheduled for surgery at Lachine Hospital.