A resident of the Joigny long-term care unit, after suffering a stroke in 2020, Marcelo Serrer Guash, in his eighties, reached Cheny on foot. More than a walk, a challenge.
For some, this is nothing exceptional. For others, walking from Joigny to Cheny is a real challenge. When it comes to a resident of the long-term care unit (USLD) of the geriatric center that depends on the Joigny hospital, it is an exploit!
However, Marcelo Serrer Guasch has come a long way. Born in 1938, he suffered an ischemic stroke in February 2020. His right side is paralyzed and he can no longer do anything. He, who particularly liked taking long walks, found himself bedridden and needed help with all the activities of daily life. After a stint in medicine then in the geriatric medical care and rehabilitation service (SMR), he joined the USLD with his wife Geneviève in June 2020.
An impatient patient
“The first words I said were “hello” then vulgar words,” he remembers. He asks his physiotherapist not to spare him, but it is he who must slow down his patient who is sometimes too impatient. He is making progress which he certainly owes to his desire to fend for himself as much as possible.
Since his arrival at the USLD, physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions have followed one another. He walks for miles with the help of his walker and it is not uncommon to see him strolling through the streets of Joigny. For years, he had only one desire: to walk to Cheny; a route he knows well, having done it dozens of times. After much hesitation, the care team granted his request. On June 11, he set off in front of the hospital for an 18 km walk. He is accompanied by his daughter Sylvie and Nicoleta, a nurse, to manage the insulin pump in particular. “We had taken a chair just in case. We only used it to carry our bags,” says the nurse.Marcelo Serrer Guasch took up his challenge
He covers 18 km on foot
No question of stopping at the village entrance sign! They tour Cheny, passing the park where he used to go with his dog Ulysses, past the places where he lived, remembering the names of his neighbors. To go to the fig tree from which he picked fruit. “He said he didn’t have eyes big enough to see everything!” remembers Nicoleta.
Then it’s the arrival at Bruno’s, this precious friend, who brought them back to Joigny. But it’s not the end for Marcelo who hopes to repeat the feat with another nurse who should have come. And without the walker, it would be even better.
premium A hike punctuated with puzzles intends to seduce a younger audience, this Saturday in Joigny
