An ordinary day that changed everything
For Félix, trimming a cedar hedge was nothing out of the ordinary. Something he had done a hundred times before. So he didn’t hesitate to lend his father a hand on the morning of August 8, 2025.
It was a perfect summer day. Hot and humid, with a light haze lingering over the neighbourhood.
Félix was standing on an aluminum ladder, the job almost done, when his life was forever changed in a split second.
“I fell off the ladder. I couldn’t hear anything. I couldn’t see anything. I didn’t understand what was happening. Then I looked up… and I saw myself on fire.”
Félix was trapped in the branches, unable to move his legs, so he called for help. His father rushed to free him and several neighbours also came to his aid while they waited for first responders to arrive.
No one understood what had happened. It was only several days later that Félix learned he had fallen victim to an electrical arc—a phenomenon that can occur when humidity allows electricity to travel beyond a power line.
An entire team to give him strength
After being treated at Pierre-Le Gardeur Hospital in Terrebonne, the medical team quickly determined that Félix required more highly specialized care. That’s when he was transferred to the CHUM.
He remembers arriving at the hospital, but when Félix next opened his eyes, four days had passed.
Doctors told him that his electrical accident had caused third-degree burns over 38% of his body. Three of his toes had to be amputated, and several other procedures, including fasciotomies and skin grafts, would be required.
“When I realized my body would never be the same again, it was incredibly difficult. When they changed my dressings, I could barely look at myself in the mirror.”
The first few days were especially challenging. Hallucinations caused by the medically induced coma kept him from sleeping, to the point that Félix feared falling asleep. It wasn’t until he asked his father to stay with him overnight that he finally began to feel more at ease.
Despite the pain, Félix committed fully to his recovery. Just two weeks after arriving at the CHUM, he was walking again on his own—something he never imagined would happen so quickly. After one month in hospital, he was able to return home and begin rehabilitation.
Looking back, Félix remembers the care he received, but also the people who provided it.
“The nurses were so compassionate. Whenever I asked for something, I could tell they genuinely wanted to help. I also remember one of the night nurses—we had some really meaningful conversations.”
That human connection, combined with the expertise of an entire interdisciplinary care team, helped him move forward one day at a time.
A family that faced the journey together
Today, Félix feels immense gratitude towards the CHUM teams and is acutely aware of the difficult journey his own family faced.
His father, who witnessed his son engulfed in flames, carried an overwhelming sense of guilt for a long time. Moments before the electrical accident, he had offered to finish trimming the hedge himself, but Félix had declined.
For months afterward, his father replayed that moment over and over again.
His mother, meanwhile, chose to remain positive throughout the ordeal. She became Félix’s greatest source of strength, inspiring him to keep moving forward.
His brother and sister visited almost every day, sometimes even in the middle of the night. Friends came to see him without fail. Even some of his co-workers made the trip to visit him.
“I was never alone. Seeing so many people around me gave me incredible strength.”
Rebuilding his life, one step at a time
This past May, Félix completed the five-kilometre Laval Firefighters’ Run, surrounded by the people who supported him throughout his recovery.
“For me, it was important to run. Not because I wanted to go a long distance. Just because I wanted to be able to be there.”
As he crossed the finish line, Félix reflected on the journey he has taken since his electrical accident.
On that summer day when he thought he would never feel his legs again.
On every person who helped him along the way.
“It felt like turning the page to a new chapter.”
Today, Félix continues his rehabilitation with the same determination that has guided him since day one—and he now looks to the future with confidence.
