In La Manche, they have been making the dreams of sick children come true for 20 years

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They are all there. THE children, seriously illothers in remission. Their families, the volunteers, the ambassadors.

Ce Saturday October 19, 2024the Rêves Manche association meets to breathe its 20 candles and party with Mr Ribouldingue at La Cité de la Mer, in Cherbourg.

“Gabriel, one of our little ones, couldn’t come because he was celebrating his birthday. I told him come, come with your friends! There will be 8 of them present. It’s extraordinary! » Gérard Couillard, in his sixties, white hair, 80s haircut, still tanned complexion and piercing blue eyes, is enthusiastic.

The anniversary of Rêves Manche, in parallel with thirty years of the national associationis going to be a great time. Another great day for the children. Gérard Couillard is keen to do so. This is what has driven him since he took over the presidency of the Manche branch of the Rêves association.

Thomas, a smile engraved forever

“When I was still active, I helped the presidency Chantal Lacotte who had asked me as director of a mutual fund,” he explains. She told me come with usbut I declined. Arriving on retreat, I went for a walk around the Channel, and the discussion came back to me. I decided to walk through the door. Just as an observer, at the beginning” “Gégé” is very quickly caught up in the joy of the children, their eyes sparkling as a dream comes true. And then, there are favorites, “children who leave an impression on you”. This is the case of little Thomas. “We had organized a kick-off for a football match in Tourlaville, and he then said to me: It’s great Gégé, but for me, it’s the Paris Saint-Germain kickoff that I want to go and whistle. When a little guy tells you that, you definitely try to take up the challenge.” So he tries, and even succeeds. “We had managed to get closer to the Malherbe-de-Caen stadium, so when PSG came to face the Caennais… We knew that the Parisian team was staying in Deauville, and we got there early enough to pass in front of the hotel without Thomas knowing anything about it. Obviously he saw the bus parked, and we said to him: what if we try? He didn’t want to believe it. » But once again, Gégé takes up the challenge. Thomas meets the players. “What a memory, it was so magical, incredible to see him so happy! » This is the trigger. Gégé completely abandons himself to volunteering. For 14 years, he has been drowning in it. “It’s a full-time job, I assure you. Even on vacation, I have to take my computer,” he smiles.

However, there are very difficult moments and such cruel endings. For Gérard, the death of Thomas was one. “I was attached to Thomas,” he breathes. It’s true that I asked myself a lot of questions about my future in the association. The national president told me be careful, take a step back, some distance… » But what to do with children? Gégé doesn’t know how to do it. He then gets even more involved and organizes recreational days. With his team of volunteers, whose efficiency he always praises, he takes the children sometimes alongside the pilots of the French patrol, sometimes to the Enfoirés concert with VIP visit and access to several celebrities, sometimes to the training center of the French football team in Clairefontaine. “It became almost a game between us and the children. There is even a box of ideas to take on the ever-increasing challenges they throw at us. »

An extraordinary team

Success is not just up to him. He emphasizes it. Always. “It’s thanks to the entire Rêves team, to the partners, our link with the hospitals, through talking, because people come to see us saying Hey, I know so-and-sorelying on other associations, that it works. Alone I am nothing. » Together, the volunteers try, and as Jean Claude Dusse claimed, “on a misunderstanding…”, the children meet Brigitte Macron in the courtyard of the Élysée. These moments reinvigorate Gégé, and the whole team for new challenges.

These days are sensational. For children. We see the benefits every time. But also for parents. After a fun day, when two mothers come crying with joy because they shared a moment of cooking together and because they see their children happy, what do you want to do other than continue?

Today, he admits, his commitment has even profoundly changed him. “I necessarily put things into perspective a lot more. The fridge that no longer works… Maybe it’s not a big problem. And then, it calms me down I think.” So the hyperactive person puts his niac at the disposal of the association. Today in the birthday afternoon outfit. Tomorrow, in another project… But shh… It’s a surprise for the children!

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