His sudden death still haunts everyone’s mind. This Saturday, the family and friends of Dimitri, who died on February 18, at the age of 14, after an operation at the Necker hospital (Paris), were gathered to pay him a last tribute. Posted in front of his college in Évry-Courcouronnes (Essonne), the procession traveled a few hundred meters, before continuing with a time of exchanges and a symbolic release of balloons.
“It’s hard, it’s really too hard, sobs Jocelyne, her mother. Dimitri had plans with his friends and it all fell through. “Faced with the sixty people who took part in the tribute, the mother returned to the fight that her son had been leading since birth.
“Since he was 19 months old, Dimitri was followed at the Necker hospital because of a congenital disease which forced the doctors to put a cannula on his trachea so that he was properly ventilated, she explains. He was operated on multiple times, sometimes for eight or twelve hours. And everything had gone very well so far. »
But last February, the operation did not go as planned and turned into a tragedy. Despite attempts at resuscitation, the teenager did not wake up. “My pain is excruciating,” she continues before leaving the microphone to her son’s friends.
A “great”, “full of joy”, “very committed” boy
“Dimitri is a kid from here,” continues Alain Bomboko, president of the Friends of the Poor association. He was very involved in our food parcel distribution actions. Despite his health problems, he still had the niaque. If we were tempted to give up, it was he who pushed us to continue. »
In his account, the president of the association describes a young person “full of joy” and “always in a good mood”. “He was a wonderful boy,” he continues. Those who crossed his path can all testify to this. I only had girls, Dimitri, he’s the boy I would have liked to have. »
“He was dancing all the time”
His friends also paint the portrait of a playful teenager, always ready to laugh. “He really liked to dance, reports Diogou, 12 years old. He was dancing everywhere. His friend Lola confirms: “He was dancing all the time to TikTok music”. “Yes, especially on the songs of Cardi B and Blackpink,” adds Coline.
Out of humility, Dimitri kept his solidarity commitment to himself for a long time. “I didn’t know he had this activity, his aunt is surprised. He didn’t talk much but his actions, they say a lot about him. Even her mother found out late. “He told me he was going to see a friend but in reality, he was coming to the association,” she confides.
At the end of the afternoon, his friends let a dozen white balloons fly into the air. “A symbol to help them mourn,” concludes Alain Bomboko.