Raphaël was the recipient of the most important piece of adapted equipment donated to a patient at the Centre de réadaptation Marie Enfant (CRME) this year. The gift was made possible thanks to donations from our community and the generous support of the METRO Fund.
Born prematurely at just 28 weeks, baby Raphaël spent the first two months of his life at Sainte-Justine. When he was finally discharged, he was given a diagnosis that would change his and his parents’ lives: severe bilateral periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), an atypical formation in his brain, which unfortunately caused him to develop cerebral palsy.
Now aged 10, Raphaël is a playful, curious, and talkative child who loves to read. He drives his motorized wheelchair on his own, but has been struggling with accessibility issues for many years. Until recently, visiting a friend’s house or going to a restaurant was impossible if it involved even a short flight of stairs…
But a device called the Stair-Trac portable wheelchair lift changed everything!
The machine attaches under Raphaël’s wheelchair like a set of caterpillar tracks, allowing him to get smoothly up and down stairs. He can finally go on vacation with his family, visit loved ones, and even have sleepovers. The independence he’s gained is truly heartwarming.
“It’s opened up a world of possibilities. Our first outing with the Stair-Trac was to my brother’s, for dinner. It was a wonderful evening, I get chills just talking about it. We plan to go to a cottage as soon as we can. Raphaël has been dreaming about that for years, we can’t wait!”
Once again this year, in addition to specialized equipment, the METRO Fund also allowed us to provide free dental care and various forms of support to families in need (food aid, reimbursement of travel expenses, etc.). We’re so grateful to be able to count on a partner that cares deeply about the multifaceted well-being of Quebec families whose lives have been turned upside down by a child’s illness.