The Foundation

Meanwhile, Julien completes an entrepreneurship course at the prestigious École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce. Believing he has something to share as a result of his life and work experiences, he now offers lectures to groups of students, entrepreneurs and patients in rehabilitation centers. He is also involved with various institutions in order to raise awareness regarding the predicament of the spinal cord injured in Québec. “We are the only ones responsible for our inaction. The only handicap that can truly paralyze us is the one between our ears. The one that prevents us from taking action ”

After a long rehabilitation, Julien was able to reintegrate the family home that had been adapted to his newfound condition thanks to a settlement paid out by the SAAQ. Home help services were also granted to him in order to aid with his physical disabilities. It is only by talking with other spinal cord injured patients that he gains an appreciation for the support granted him by the SAAQ. In fact, he later learns that many face severe financial constraints in order to adapt their homes to the nature of their injury. It is in the realization of this injustice that Julien is moved by the desire to do his part to help those less fortunate.

Julien has benefitted from the unconditional support of his family, of his friends and business partners. His personal aid staff also plays a distinctive role in his life. He is very grateful towards them all. His SAAQ compensation officer was the first person to significantly mark his life following his accident. From their very first meetings, she believed in him, reassured him and made him realize that despite his disability a happy future was still very much a possibility. Other professionals, such as the occupational therapist in his rehabilitation center, also left an indelible mark on his life. His dependency on others makes him quickly realize the importance of surrounding oneself with quality support staff. Their daily interventions would be void if they weren’t provided with kindness, discretion and professionalism. Access to the financial aid offered by his paying agent allows him to choose and access just this type of staff. “Without the support and involvement of my family and the help from my staff, I would never have had the chance and pleasure to live what I live today.”

First love It is armed with his mouth stick, his computer and his perseverance that Julien takes back control of his life: he completes his Secondary education as well some comprehensive training in accounting. He now understands that anything is possible and he has gained the confidence to bring to term various projects. In 2003, Julien completes his first real estate transaction. The starting gun has sounded off; he has caught the real estate bug! Over the years, Julien has built a solid reputation in the real estate field and continues to refine his acquired knowledge. He is the founder of a property management company that now oversees more than 300 homes. But in the quest for new endeavors, Julien and his associate decide to sell their company in the summer of 2015. He remains to this day an active investor and his real estate holdings are in constant evolution.

Touched by the precarious situations experienced by several others with spinal cord injuries, the idea of creating a foundation to come to their aid had been in the back of Julien’s mind for a long time. In 2014, the first steps were taken in this direction; the needs are great but the resources, unfortunately, almost absent. For Julien, meeting housing needs are top priority – this, obviously, through his own personal experience, but also through his observations in the real estate business. It is evident that the constraints associated with home adaptations and access to in-home help services are serious issues that must be addressed for they have a direct impact on an injured’s autonomy and personal and professional realizations. Julien thus sets about to recruit the right people necessary for the creation of the Foundation. A Board of Directors is established. The great movement takes off – the cause resonates with the people; their contribution and their support gives it life!