Associated with the page Road safety
When life collapses on a bridge: the story of a life’s struggle
On November 13, 1979, aged just 23, Andrée’s life was turned upside down in a car accident on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Severely wounded in the left leg, she narrowly escaped amputation. This marked the start of an interminable medical journey involving over 30 operations: pins, bone grafts, skin grafts and repeated hospitalizations.
Despite the accident that shattered her professional dreams and scarred her body forever, she refuses to give up on her dream of becoming a mother. She married Michel, her partner who had become a caregiver even before his role was recognized, and together they started a family. Against the advice of her doctors, she chose to carry her pregnancies to term and became the mother of two children, whom she raised with courage despite her severe physical limitations.
Through multiple operations, relapses and constant fear of the road, she drew strength from the love and support of her loved ones, with exceptional resilience. Today, on the eve of her 70th birthday, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, she bears witness to remind us that in an instant, everything can change, and that an accident can turn an entire life upside down.
When a walk turns tragic: the accident that changed everything
On March 28, 2003, around 6:30 p.m., Kathleen was walking in her neighborhood with her 2-month-old daughter, her 4-year-old son and her dog. Five minutes from their house, a car hit them violently.
Shocked into unconsciousness, she found her children scattered by the impact: her baby face down, unable to move, and her 4-year-old son, thrown into a ditch, screaming in pain. The driver, a pizza deliveryman respecting the 40 km/h speed limit but distracted while looking for an address, came to the rescue despite his own trauma: he suffered severe post-traumatic shock. The dog was never found.
His son, Danick, suffered a concussion and a fractured femur that kept him in hospital for several weeks. Specialists nicknamed him “The Tough Guy” because he never complained. The day he started walking again, in front of the whole family, was a real miracle.
Despite the support received from the community, the physical and mental scars remain. But every day, Kathleen realizes how lucky they are to have survived this tragedy.
