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Video length: 2 min
Montpellier: thousands of anonymous people mobilize to save a Czech child suffering from a rare disease
Montpellier: thousands of anonymous people mobilize to save a Czech child suffering from a rare disease – (France 2)
Martin, two and a half years old, comes from the Czech Republic. He suffers from a rare disease. He was able to be treated and saved in France, in Montpellier, in Hérault, thanks to the generosity of thousands of anonymous people who helped his family.
Seeing his smile, we tell ourselves that the worst is behind him and, hearing his father, that the future is finally reaching out to them: “I’m really happy that everything is behind us. Now we can look forward and see it moving forward.” Two and a half year old Martin was born in the Czech Republic with a disease that disrupts his brain development. Only an operation could save him, but his illness is rare, too rare and the Czech Health Insurance refused to pay. So the whole country mobilized.
Six million euros in one week
Martin’s blond curls and his smile are seductive. The prize pool launched reached new heights: six million euros in a few days. “200,000 people participated in one week, it’s unheard of”, remembers the founder of donio.cz and organizer of the campaign. This money allowed Martin and his parents to fly to Montpellier for a transplant in the child’s brain. The family, back in the Czech Republic, wants to help another child with the remaining money.
Among our sources
- Zdeněk Joukl, lawyer for the child’s family
- Martin Thomas Roujeau, pediatric neurologist at Montpellier University Hospital
- David Procházka, founder of Donio.cz, organizer of the donation campaign
- Czech public television
- Radio Prague International
Non-exhaustive list.
