These discreet heroes, who never sought the light, finally had the opportunity to share their stories. “They will say that at that time, they only did their job, but they did much more than that. For days and weeks, they put aside their personal lives. Today, it is a way to thank them,” explains Josepha Guidicelli.
Francis Mattei, a nurse in Bastia, remembers this first day vividly, but the weeks that followed are blurry, drowned in a whirlwind of activity. “It was very complicated. Corsica is a small island, everyone knows each other. The caregivers had to take care of people they knew. The only thing that protected us were the procedures and the protocols we had in place and kept in mind. We had no communication at the time, which made the event even more distressing. We were stuck in the hospital with very limited vision.
At the hospital, an efficient sorting system was put in place, thus saving as many lives as possible. But this event profoundly changed these caregivers. “I will never be able to forget this tragedy. It transformed me as a nurse, forever. It gave me limits,” confides Francis.
Santa, another caregiver interviewed, reveals that even after 32 years, the wound remains gaping. “We were caregivers, but also parents, children, friends, colleagues… My most vivid memory is the silence in the hospital, despite the chaos that reigned. People with infusions were lying on the floor. the most moved were all these children, these young people who were at the stadium for what should have been a party.”
The day of testimonies from Furiani’s caregivers will be remembered as a poignant tribute to these unsung heroes who gave everything to save lives, in the most difficult circumstances.
