Present to honor the memory of his friend Francine Leca, Paul Belmondo went to her funeral celebrated at the Saint-Pierre church in Neuilly-sur-Seine on June 21, 2024. Touched by the disappearance of the founder of Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque (who was the first woman to become a heart surgeon), Jean-Paul Belmondo’s son had paid tribute to her a few days earlier on Instagram: “Francine you were an extraordinary woman and we will miss you rest in peace“.
Very committed to the association specializing in pediatric cardiac surgery founded in 1996 by Professor Francine Leca and Patrice Roynette, Paul Belmondo was very close to his friend and had confided in France Sunday in 2023 to have been engaged for twenty years in the cause she defended: “I remember this lunch with Professor Francine Leca, who explained to me what the association was doing for these children from developing countries, namely bringing them to France so that they could have surgery in the best possible conditions. possible conditions” he had confided.
A death which shocked the 61-year-old actor, whose divorce from television culinary columnist Luana was recently announced (she is the mother of his sons Alessandro, born in 1991, Victor, born in 1993 and Giacomo born in 1998) .
At the funeral, Nathalie Renoux, Inès de la Fressange, Patrick Préjean and the entire family of Francine Leca were present to say goodbye to her. A huge portrait of Francine Leca was displayed in the church during the ceremony.
Francine Leca, 1st French female surgeon
As a reminder, this exceptional woman leaves behind an indelible mark on the history of French medicine and the place reserved for women in the world of medicine. According to’AFPshe became the first French woman surgeon in France at the age of 33. Passionate about cardiac surgery from an early age, she became head of the dedicated units at Laennec Hospital from 1989 to 1999, then moved to Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, which she directed from 1999 to 2006.
In over fifty years of career, Francine Leca has operated on thousands of sick children. A specialist in congenital heart disease, the professional has also helped save the lives of over 5,000 children around the world, thanks to the association she founded in 1996, Mécénat chirurgie cardiaque, and of which Ingrid Chauvin and Inès de la Fressange were notably the godmothers.
