Dan Ruben, a child we've been following since 8 years old
Our medical team works all year round to obtain news of the children in care since the creation of the Association in 1996. It is sometimes a real investigation that has to be carried out to find the children who are the furthest away from the big cities or who do not have access to modern means of communication. And it is always a joy to know that, thanks to their operation, they are growing up normally and healthy!
This is the case of Dan Ruben, who we've been hearing from regularly since his operation in 2012.
When he arrived in Lyon, the one-year-old was suffering from a heart condition that made him extremely short of breath, and prevented him from eating properly.
He was taken in by a wonderful host family who have very fond memories of this adorable boy who was completely transformed after his surgery: "He arrived emaciated and scared and left happy, laughing with a few extra kilos!"
Since then, Geneviève, his foster mother, has become the Association's contact in our Lyon branch. She is the team's contact in Paris for all projects carried out in the region, and supports the city's foster families.
We have seen Dan Ruben twice since his operation, during humanitarian missions carried out in Congo Brazzaville, where he is originally from. The first time was in 2015, when he was 4 years old, and then again in 2018 at the age of 7.
On this latest follow-up mission, Geneviève was part of the on-site team. She was pleasantly surprised when she discovered Dan's name on the list of children due for consultation. She immediately went into the waiting room and recognized him immediately! "Even 6 years later, his eyes and smile hadn't changed!
That day, Dan Ruben was accompanied by his grandmother, who took advantage of the consultation time to slip away and fetch the photo album of her welcome. Geneviève and Dan Ruben were thus able to recall all the memories immortalized... A great moment of emotion that Geneviève still remembers!
