1,300 km by bike from the North to Les Arcs to help stroke victims

They arrive this weekend in Les Arcs-sur-Argens, after cycling the 1,300 kilometers that separate them from Bergues, in the North. An eleven-day journey across France to raise awareness about strokes.

The originator of this sporting initiative is Alain Debruyne, a longtime member of the Bergues Cycling Club Tourisme. He wanted to take action after his daughter, Dorothée Villiart, now 45, suffered a stroke a year and a half ago. A personal tragedy that takes on a particular resonance in Les Arcs, where his brother lives. The goal is clear: to remind people that strokes can strike at any age. And that a lack of information about the warning signs can have serious, sometimes fatal, consequences.

Total left hemiplegia

"It happened at my workplace, " she recalls. "I'm a medical secretary in a nine-surgeon practice in the Bordeaux metropolitan area. One morning, I felt extremely tired. At first, it didn't worry me since I travel a lot of miles to get to work. It's an hour and a half in the morning and the same in the evening. Then, I felt headaches, I really didn't feel in good shape." She continues: "Apart from the fatigue and the headache, shortly before the stroke, I had weakness in my left upper limb, an inability to type properly on the computer, and finally, a sudden loss of speech."

When she realized these signs were very serious, she tried to run... and fell to the ground. From that moment on, nothing was controllable. Her body failed her. She suffered from total left hemiplegia.

This mother of three children will undergo ten days of intensive care, six months of rehabilitation, and another six months of hospitalization in an outpatient department. A trying period consisting of intense daily physiotherapy sessions, excruciating pain, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. Rehabilitation is not yet complete. While the forty-year-old was able to recover her left leg with the help of a cane, her left hand is still inoperative. Fortunately, Dorothée was able to count on the unwavering support of her family.

"I would like to tell everyone that you have to listen to your body, not wait because life can change at any moment, and it's very hard psychologically. I am very touched by the approach of my father, who was very affected, and his cycling friends, I thank them from the bottom of my heart. We must keep hope," concludes Dorothée.

To follow the athletes' journey, follow the Facebook page: Défi sportif Bergues/Arcs sur Argens à vélo. A Leetchi fundraising campaign has also been launched. All donations will be donated to the Clinique Les Grands Chênes, where Dorothée stayed. On Leetchi: Défi sportif cyclo bergues/Les Arc-sur-Argens 1,300km.