Paralyzed Montreal firefighter unable to get eye surgery due to accessibility gaps

Michael Lavigne was scheduled for cataract surgery, but has had a hard time accessing specialized facilities following a debilitating stroke.

Michael Lavigne followed in his father’s footsteps, spending his career as a firefighter and rescuer. However, his life was turned upside down three years ago after a stroke left him mostly paralyzed at age 51.

While his brain functions normally, his speech is limited. He is also bedridden and struggles to articulate his thoughts. Several times a week, a CLSC nurse visits his home to assist his mother and sister, who care for him day and night.

To make matters worse, Lavigne’s poor eyesight makes it hard for him to watch television or even use a tablet to communicate.

He was scheduled for a cataract surgery before his stroke. But his health condition changed everything.

In a recent interview, his 79-year-old mother Connie Auger told CTV News that getting the operation isn’t the obstacle.

“Each hospital said the same thing, that they can do the surgery, but that the testing had to be done at an outside facility,” explains 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.”

Despite calling several ophthalmology clinics, the answer was the same: None can handle his medical condition.

“Every time I [called] them. It was like, ‘No, we can’t help. No, we can’t help.’”

The issue is two-fold. To get out of the house, Lavigne needs a specially equipped ambulance. Additionally, the clinic needs to be able to accommodate his bulky lift system to position himself.

Lavigne’s sister, Tammy Lavigne, abandoned her career in the U.S. to look after her brother.

She said she needs someone to step in and think of a solution for her brother.

 “It’s just so unbelievably frustrating that he falls through the cracks because, I mean, like he says, he can’t be the only one,” she said, holding back tears.

“And it’s it’s just heartbreaking because the difference it’s going to make in his life is going to be tremendous.”

An ophthalmologist contacted by CTV News confirmed that the bulkiness of their equipment makes it hard to adapt it to special cases like Lavigne’s.

CTV News also contacted their professional order to see if there were other options. The order said they are looking into other options.

Lavigne also worries about how his health affects everyone around him, especially his mother.

“I’m going to be 80 this year,” Auger said. “And I am not in the best of health. And he needs my help to at least do some of the things that are necessary.

If Lavigne could regain his eyesight, she said, it would free him from the worst of his condition, while providing some relief to those who love him most.