Le Figaro Nantes
It's hard to get rid of a bad reputation. Nantes knows something about this. And suffered the consequences again on Thursday evening. At 9:05 p.m., a magnificent fireworks display was set off for 7:30 minutes from the city's island. Enough to question certain Internet users, some suspecting new wild shootings.
It was nothing of the sort! On the contrary, it was a nice surprise reserved for the guests of the SFERHE (Francophone Society for Studies and Research on Childhood Disabilities) congress. For the first time, this medical event bringing together 500 people from all over France and French-speaking countries took place in Nantes on April 3 and 4. The theme chosen was
“Sport and disability, from everyday life… to achievement!”
, echoing the Olympic year.
A successful surprise
However, for eight months, something had been going on behind the scenes. The pediatrician Guy Letellier, one of the organizers who works at ESEAN (Health Establishment for Children and Adolescents in the Nantaise region), had an idea this summer, after discovering during a consultation that one of his patients was a fan of pyrotechnics.
“I invite you to the convention with your family and I would like it to be you who sets off the fireworks!”
, he suggested to Arthur Léthoré, 16 years old, suffering from a rare disease.
After a lot of administrative work to find funds (€1000 per minute), and receive authorizations from the town hall, the prefecture, the firefighters... The evening was crowned with success.
“Nantes asked us not to advertise
,” explains Guy Letellier.
“Usually when there are gunshots, we're the ones treating the kids who were shot. There, it was a bonfire, by a young man who lives fully!”
, enthuses the professional, who insists on the importance of the relationship established between a doctor and a patient.
“It had a magical effect on this child and family
,” he rejoices.
By pressing the remote control on Wednesday evening, Arthur Léthoré was not at his first attempt.
“I discovered behind the scenes of the fireworks with the
Petits Princes association,
”
confides the high school student to Le
Figaro
. The association, which makes the dreams of sick children and adolescents come true, put him in touch with Puy du Fou, allowing him to experiment with pyrotechnics for the first time as part of the Cinéscénie. The one who plans to become a pyrotechnician had repeated the experience there and had even been a judge during the Nuit des Feux Follets (international pyrotechnics competition). In June, he also plans to do his end-of-year internship in the famous Vendée park.
The guests were surprised by this magnificent fireworks display. SFERHE
The show lasted 7 minutes 30 minutes. SFERHE