The Bagnols firefighters do not forget Flo, their comrade who became quadriplegic after an accident

The Firefighters’ Association mobilized for their comrade Flo

The profits from the firefighters' ball on Saturday June 22, 2024 will be entirely donated to financing the care of Corporal Florent Bonin in a specialized hospital in China so that he can walk again. Hence the call for crowdfunding launched by the Bagnols-sur-Cèze Firefighters Association. Cost of support 130,000,000 euros.

Organized by their Association, the traditional Bagnols-sur-Cèze firefighters' ball will not deviate from its tradition of a festive and friendly evening… With the exception that this 2024 edition is still placed under the sign of solidarity. In fact, a little over 12 years ago, Corporal Florent Bonin, a young volunteer firefighter at the Bagnols-sur-Cèze barracks, had a tragic traffic accident that left him quadriplegic. That was in 2011, he was 21 years old. Why wait a decade to dedicate a firefighters' ball to him ?

"The operation would be in China"

"Today, thanks to progress in medicine, he has the opportunity to benefit from bone marrow surgery" explains the secretary of the Bagnols-sur-Cèze Fire Brigade Association, Cyril Lafuitte. The surgery would be done in a specialist hospital in China. The intervention will be followed by a one-year rehabilitation period, still on Chinese soil.

Advances in medicine

This operation could lead him to walk again. "The purpose of our action would be to allow Flo to regain her mobility"repeats the secretary of the Amicale. Although affected by immobility, Corporal Florent Bonin and a friend, Rémi, deprived of the use of his lower limbs, created a YouTube channel to publicize the progress of the medicine concerning the treatment of spinal cord injuries.

The reasons for hope

Already 16 people have been operated on with a protocol set up by the French association Neurogel en Marche and the support of its international scientific council. "All of these completely paralyzed patients saw recovery of essential physiological abilities such as sensitivity, digestion, sweating as well as use and control of their vesico apparatus -sphincterian" explains Rémi. And even in some patients we observed progress ranging from voluntary movements to walking.

Clinical trials

The two men, Florent and Rémi, were pre-selected by the Neurogel en Marche association for its next clinical trial. "It's all about finances now. We need money to cover transportation and accommodation costs" they say. Hence the call for crowdfunding.

The price to pay

Severely disabled, the two men need 130,000 euros; each, i.e. 260 000 € in total. The duo recounts how their lives were turned upside down following an accident. Flo was a student at the Einstein high school in Bagnols-sur-Cèze and a volunteer firefighter. Rémi was a carpenter. Following a roof fall, he became paraplegic. It was 2014. He was 26 years old. "We both harbored the hope that solutions would come with scientific discoveries" they say in a video.

Einstein High School Alumnus

Florent Bonin was not just a volunteer firefighter in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. The young man, now 35 years old, has had an exemplary academic and higher education career. He completed a baccalaureate and a BTS in mechanical design at Einstein high school. And then there was this serious accident that occurred on the road near Saint-Pons-la-Calm between Tresques and Cavillargues. "It cost him two years of hospitalization. He returned to Lyon where his family lives. He only has motor skills at the neck level. He no longer has any sensation in the rest of his body. testifies the secretary of the Amicale.

Call for sponsors

As a reminder, the Firefighters' Ball will take place on Saturday June 22, the day after the music festival on Friday June 21. The event will take place from 7 p.m. to 7 p.m. 2 a.m. It will take place at the entrance to the barracks of the Bagnols-sur-Cèze emergency center, in the town of Tresques. "We're going to bring in two well-known artists, Alex Sax at the start of the evening and   10 p.m. DJ Laurent Pepper"declares Cyril Lafuitte, secretary of the Bagnols-sur-C&egraveze fire brigade. The association is à the search for sponsors "since we have expenses for securityé of a ball that we have been doing for years and where people travel with children. We want this to continue so we don't skimp on the security aspect" underlines the secretary of the ;rsquo;Friendly. "To bring the most money to Flo, we need to get to this place. get reimbursed with the help of sponsors." L’Amicale des sapeurs firefighters de Bagnols-sur-Cèze espè re mobilize as many donors as possible "This year it’s Flo’s ball. The profits from the evening will be entirely donated to finance his trip and to the care" ofé clare Cyril Lafuitte.

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