A seizure out of the blue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
April 26, 2024, will be forever burned into Carl\u2019s memory. It started like any other, but it was a day that would permanently upend his life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That fateful day, while on a phone call for work, something went wrong. Carl had trouble speaking and his speech slurred\u2014his co-worker thought he was joking. Carl felt his mouth sag on one side, and he lost consciousness. He didn\u2019t know it, but he had just experienced his first convulsive epileptic seizure, a frequent symptom of neurological epilepsy, which affects countless patients.<\/p>\n<\/div> 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The weeks after saw Carl experience seizure after seizure. \u201cI could have up to 25 seizures a day,\u201d he remembers. \u201cI didn\u2019t 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\u2019t drive anymore\u2014I couldn\u2019t do pretty much anything. It was a lot to deal with mentally.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. Obaid is incredible. He really knows his stuff, but he\u2019s also got a great bedside manner. He told me the truth in a way that was still comforting.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Carl Labrecque, patient with epilepsy treated at the CHUM<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t just the medical care that Carl and his family noticed during his stay at the CHUM, but the attention to detail. \u201cThe CHUM\u2019s like the Club Med of hospitals,\u201d he laughs. \u201cMy father was able to sleep alongside me during my hospitalization. Having him with me made all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n 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. \u201cI\u2019ve come to understand that the human body may be strong, but human life is fragile.\u201d Carl was so grateful to the CHUM\u2019s team that he personally raised $3,500 for the Foundation. \u201cI\u2019m going to keep donating each year. It\u2019s my way of saying thank you for everything they did for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div> Every donation you make to the CHUM Foundation helps patients like Carl receive better epilepsy treatments, thanks to advances in neurosurgery and neurology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fondationduchum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Carl-Labrecque_avant-operation-781x1024.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA shocking diagnosis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fondationduchum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Carl-Labrecque_sortie-dhopital-scaled-1-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>The personal touch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A life restored and a commitment to the cause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSupport epilepsy research and treatment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n