On the occasion of the world day of premature babies, Clarisse Agbégnénou, double Olympic judo champion, launches, with Pampers, one of her sponsors, and the SOS Préma association of which she is the godmother, an appeal for donations.
Is it the fact of becoming a mother that makes you want to commit yourself even more to SOS Préma?
Inevitably, the subject touches me.
When I started getting results, I received a lot of requests to sponsor associations.
Many causes affect me, but I wanted it to make sense.
My agent got in touch with SOS Préma, they were looking for a godmother.
The crush was mutual.
I was a premature child, today I am lucky to have a little girl who is doing well.
All these fears that I have while she is in good health, I dare not imagine what the parents of premature children experience on a daily basis.
It is important that these dads and moms who spend days and nights being anxious, watching over their babies can be accompanied, in particular by people who are listening to them.
You yourself sometimes talk to these parents.
What is difficult for them?
The lack of answers.
These parents not only think of the present moment but also think of the future.
Of course, they wonder if their child will make it, but also if he will succeed in growing up well.
Will he be sick, fragile, will he have the same life as the other children
.
I show them that you can be born two months early, have had a serious kidney operation, have been in a coma and be an Olympic judo champion.
I am happy to be able to reassure them.
Without meaning to, I think I am carrying a beautiful message on the subject.
The parents who come to me know that I am premature, not necessarily that I was almost unplugged.
I got through it, maybe because children are sometimes stronger than you think.
With your mother, do you still talk about the time of your birth?
We talked about it several times, I asked her a lot of questions, especially when in 2019, I became godmother of the SOS Préma association.
Sometimes, when she looks at my daughter, she happens to say
she is healthier than you
.
What happened to me must have been complicated for my mother, I think she is happy to see that my daughter is growing well and that she is in great shape.
Pregnant, I inevitably had a little fear.
In my belly, after 7 months, my daughter was the same size as me at birth.
I said to myself
everything is fine, it will not be premature
.
With Pampers, you are launching “the Pampers solidarity chain for SOS Préma”….
This is a major awareness campaign, inviting people to make donations online on the association's website (: https://don.sosprema.com/pampers/).
Pampers, which has supported the association since 2008, also designed the smallest diaper in the world.
I recently came across a photo of me at birth, my diaper was twice my size!
The micro nappies offered by Pampers are indispensable.
I was impressed when I saw them.
I brought one home to remember the tiny size of a premature baby.
These diapers are so small they fit in the palm of a hand, like my Olympic gold medal.
It sticks.
I am happy with this partnership which really makes sense.
I want to raise awareness among the French, athletes through this chain of solidarity.
The Covid period has been very difficult for premature children who often had to be separated from their parents.
SOS Préma needs funds to move things forward and, beyond the call for donations, we will soon be organizing a charity gala.
I will auction off a judo initiation session with me!