A 23-year-old father was near death and unable to walk after his back was crushed by a horse at a rodeo in Montérégie this weekend.
“As soon as I saw it was wrong, I got on the stage and ran away. It was so stressful I had a panic attack. […] We’re really lucky he’s alive,” says Mégane Cabana, 23.
It was her spouse Daven Bouvier who almost spent Saturday night pursuing his passion during a rodeo show in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville.
“In the small paddock, the horse backed up before leaving. Daven was crushed between the metal barriers and the butt of the really heavy animal. He got stuck. Immediately he screamed,” Ms. Cabana tells the Journal, still in shock.
With kind approval
The 23-year-old father at the rodeo in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville. This is the same spot where he was run over by a horse last Saturday.
“After the accident, on the stretcher, he told me, baby, my legs are done,” she falls.
disability risk
The young father, who had ridden a dozen times prior to this event, was subsequently taken to the emergency room at Montreal General Hospital.
Photo courtesy of Léane Payette
He was placed in a semi-coma and put on an artificial respirator to prevent further pain. When he woke up on Tuesday, Daven Bouvier was still on his mind. On the other hand, he had to have an operation because the horse broke a vertebra and injured his spinal cord.
“His spine had become crooked. The doctors tell us they can’t tell if he can walk or not until we have all the test results. Of course, that’s what worries us the most at the moment,” says Mégane Cabana.
The mother of the family hopes her husband can walk and walk again with their two children aged three years and 18 months.
With kind approval
Mr Bouvier with his son Maysen, 3, and daughter Kenzie, just 18 months old.
still hope
“We really have hope and so do the doctors. Yesterday he started feeling again when his feet and legs were touched. This is excellent news as he has not felt anything in his lower body since the accident,” explains his spouse.
With kind approval
Daven Bouvier and his wife Mégane Cabana on horseback.
She adds that “motor function” still hasn’t returned to normal. So it is impossible for Daven Bouvier to move his legs.
He also works in the construction industry. His relatives therefore started a crowdfunding campaign to help Farnham’s small family. Mr Bouvier and his wife are at risk of being absent from work for an extended period as a result of this accident.
never seen
Jean Giguère, at the head of the Rodeo Sainte-Brigide where the young man was killed, assures that it is the first time in 24 years of his career that he has seen such a situation.
Photo courtesy of Léane Payette
“It’s really bad luck. I’ve never seen that before. Sometimes some kick in or the animal crushes our leg, but nothing serious. It’s normal, it’s part of the risk. But crushed in the same way in the enclosure with the horse, it is very rare, ”points out Mr. Giguère.
He states that he has known “little Daven” since he was two years old and has had a passion for horses since early childhood.
“I am sincerely sorry for the loved ones who are going through such an extraordinary event. And unfortunately I don’t know what was happening in the enclosure at the time of the accident,” concludes Mr. Giguère.
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