March: Epilepsy Awareness Month
March is Epilepsy Awareness Month. Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects thousands of Quebecers, but medical breakthroughs and community support are giving patients like Carl hope and a better quality of life. The CHUM, with its specialized care and cutting-edge interventions, is a centre of expertise in neurology that plays a key role in epilepsy treatment. Read on for Carl Labrecque’s inspiring story.
Top medical care, and a fresh lease on life
A seizure out of the blue
April 26, 2024, will be forever burned into Carl’s memory. It started like any other, but it was a day that would permanently upend his life.
Carl, aged 31, is a father, sports fan and a project manager in construction. Between his job, part-time university studies, and precious moments with his spouse and their two children, he leads an active life.
That fateful day, while on a phone call for work, something went wrong. Carl had trouble speaking and his speech slurred—his co-worker thought he was joking. Carl felt his mouth sag on one side, and he lost consciousness. He didn’t know it, but he had just experienced his first convulsive epileptic seizure, a frequent symptom of neurological epilepsy, which affects countless patients.
A shocking diagnosis
An ambulance took Carl to the hospital, where he underwent a battery of tests, resulting in a diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma, a rare vascular malformation that causes bleeding and triggers uncontrollable epileptic seizures.
The weeks after saw Carl experience seizure after seizure. “I could have up to 25 seizures a day,” he remembers. “I didn’t always lose consciousness, because of the anticonvulsants I was taking, but I would have intense spasms on the left side of my face and my neck, which sometimes stopped me from breathing. I couldn’t drive anymore—I couldn’t do pretty much anything. It was a lot to deal with mentally.”
Not knowing what would happen next, Carl was transferred to the CHUM, a centre of excellence in epilepsy treatment. On June 12, 2024, he underwent complex neurosurgery at the hands of Dr. Sami Obaid, a neurosurgeon specializing in epilepsy. A multidisciplinary team used cutting-edge technology to excise the mass without causing permanent damage.
“Dr. Obaid is incredible. He really knows his stuff, but he’s also got a great bedside manner. He told me the truth in a way that was still comforting.”
The personal touch
It wasn’t just the medical care that Carl and his family noticed during his stay at the CHUM, but the attention to detail. “The CHUM’s like the Club Med of hospitals,” he laughs. “My father was able to sleep alongside me during my hospitalization. Having him with me made all the difference.”
A life restored and a commitment to the cause
Carl is still in remission today. Though he is still experiencing a few minor physical after effects and will be forever marked by this ordeal, he is optimistic. “I’ve come to understand that the human body may be strong, but human life is fragile.”
Carl was so grateful to the CHUM’s team that he personally raised $3,500 for the Foundation. “I’m going to keep donating each year. It’s my way of saying thank you for everything they did for me.”
Support epilepsy research and treatment
Every donation you make to the CHUM Foundation helps patients like Carl receive better epilepsy treatments, thanks to advances in neurosurgery and neurology.
Support the work of Dr. Sami Obaid and the CHUM’s epilepsy group by making a contribution to the AURA initiative.
