Brad Arseneau, grateful patient, St. Michael's Hospital
The day Brad Arseneau almost died started out like any other: He grabbed a cup of coffee and rode his bike to the local park to skateboard with some friends.
As a former semi-professional cyclist, Brad, 54, was used to wearing full protective gear. But that day, he hadn’t put on his helmet.
He was heading home on his bike when a TTC bus slammed into him.
“I was so close to home and just thought, ‘Nothing’s going to happen,’ probably like most people,” he says. “You don’t even think about it.”
When he woke up, Brad was under the bus.
“I’m the type of person who gets injured and immediately gets up like nothing is wrong, so I went to get up—and I couldn’t move,” he says. “I was paralyzed, laying in the middle of the road under this bus.”
A woman he didn’t know was kneeling next to him and holding his hand, crying. “I couldn’t feel her hand and when I saw her crying, I knew this might be it.”
Brad drifted in and out of consciousness. When he woke up, he was in the Emergency Department at St. Michael’s Hospital surrounded by a large team of doctors and nurses.
As the team assessed his injuries and stabilized him, a social worker introduced herself.
“I’ve been in the hospital many times because of sports injuries, but this was the first time I had been assigned a social worker,” says Brad. “That confirmed for me that this was as bad as it could get.”
Brad had head wounds, a broken neck, a damaged spinal disc, and other serious injuries. He underwent six hours of emergency surgery and spent a week in the Intensive Care Unit.
His doctors were amazed that he was alive—but told him he may never walk without the assistance of a cane.
“I said, ‘No way.’ I started walking circles around the nurses’ station and soon wasn’t even using a walker,” he says. “I was determined to walk out of the hospital on my own two feet.”
His care team supported him every step of the way.
“Every time I had a milestone in my recovery, the team was right there with me, celebrating. These are very special people.”
Just over a week after his accident, the big moment came: Brad walked out of St. Michael’s with his wife by his side.
More than two years later, Brad remains deeply committed to his recovery. He works out six days a week, he’s slowly getting back to skateboarding, and he’s enjoying every moment with his wife, kids, friends, and family.
He also recently started volunteering in the ICU at St. Michael’s as a way to give back for the world-leading care that saved his life.
“I’m alive today because of St. Michael’s,” he says. “The doctors there are great, and the nurses are phenomenal. They are there around the clock, completely dedicated to each patient. They deserve all of our support.”
Your gift today will support life-saving emergency and trauma care at St. Michael’s, which has one of the highest trauma survival rates in North America. Donate today to ensure exceptional care is always available for patients like Brad—in every critical moment.
Donate to St. Michael's Hospital Foundation.
