On the occasion of World Day against Alzheimer's disease, the Foundation for Medical Research is launching a campaign on Monday to appeal for donations.
The godfather of this operation is the singer Matt Pokora, himself confronted with this terrible disease within his family.
INTERVIEW
Matt Pokora decided this year to get involved in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
The singer is the sponsor of the fundraising campaign launched by the Foundation for Medical Research.
Because he himself was confronted, within his family with this neurodegenerative disease, which causes in particular the loss of memory.
On the occasion of World Alzheimer's Day, Matt Pokora tells about the consequences of the pathology on those around the patient and explains the importance of helping to fund research.
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"It's overwhelming to see that you no longer exist in the eyes of someone you have always loved"
"I know what it means for a family to have someone with this disease. How hard it is for the person concerned and for those around them too", assures Matt Pokora, whose grandfather was affected.
"I often asked him to tell me about his medals, because the old memory he still had. He still had that lucidity, whereas two minutes before, he no longer knew who I was. reminded me more that he had asked me the same question five or six times in a row. "
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"It's overwhelming to see that you no longer exist in the eyes of someone you have always loved. It is also terrible times to see a person regress", continues the singer.
"It starts with small forgetting of keys, knowing where you put such and such thing five minutes before, then after, forgetting your way, then after forgetting people. And then after, everything goes wrong in the brain . And we are dealing with someone who, little by little, becomes a vegetable. "
"Two million people affected, that easily means 10 million people affected"
So Matt Pokora wants to send a message.
"We must already say that the figures are progressing," he says, referring to the 250,000 cases diagnosed in France each year.
"We have almost a million people affected in France. And the figure under twenty years can double. Two million people affected, that easily means 10 million people affected if we count the accompanying persons and caregivers. And suddenly, it is a disease on which we need to do research, to move forward, to find a cure, if only already to slow down the effects of the disease ".
And the fight is not in vain, assures the singer.
"There are scientists who have the hope that within five years, they will find something, a treatment", specifies the star.
"They also believe that it is not a single treatment that will be the solution, but really the combination of several treatments in order to stop or slow down this disease."
If you want to give on the occasion of World Alzheimer's Day, you can do so with a simple text message. You write the word "souvenir" to 92 300, and this results in an automatic donation of 20 euros.