“It’s trivial, I am the best example”, assures Jean-Charles, who has twice donated his bone marrow.

At only 26 years old, Jean-Charles Deval has already given twice. Not his blood, platelets, or semen. No, his
bone marrow. An unknown and yet simple gift, which cures 80% of serious blood diseases. L
‘Biomedicine Agency (which takes care of donations and transplants) launched the challenge, in this year 2021, to
recruit 20,000 new donors by September, even though the age limit has dropped (see box).

This is why the actor (Our dear neighbors, The truth if I lie 4, Women of 6e floor, Hippocrates), whom we met in Paris over a coffee, tirelessly continues to tell his story to raise awareness about bone marrow donation.

“I was sure to be compatible! “

” It hurts ? How do we register? But in fact, it’s super easy! This is the kind of reaction to which Jean-Charles has grown used to since time. Because he is one of the very involved donors. Even would be the only French to have twice donated his bone marrow.

The first time was for his big sister, Anne-Sophie. It was thanks to her that he discovered his passion and his vocation when he was 10 years old. Engaged for Gérard Mordillat’s TV movie Atlantic Island, she takes him to the casting. “ She put the foot in the stirrup, but it will be the only film we have played together. “Because a year later, Anne-Sophie, 15, suffers from lymphoma. For eight months, she was hospitalized. “Including 77 days in a coma,” he recalls. She didn’t pretend… When you have your brother or sister sick, it’s almost animal to want to help. I wrote letters to doctors to give ideas. “

To save her, she would need a bone marrow transplant. Knowing that parents cannot give to their children and that in a sibling, there is a one in four chance that it will stick. “I was sure to be compatible! », Continues Jean-Charles. Bingo, the analyzes confirm his foreboding. “The doctors explained things to me very well. I was neither afraid nor in doubt. Basically, I had a general anesthesia and I woke up with a bruise on the buttocks… Anne-Sophie was followed by a wonderful doctor, who became famous later, Agnès Buzyn [ancienne ministre de la Santé]. She slept with the patients and cried with the families. There must have been tears in the Deval family. After four months of improvement, Anne-Sophie is swept away by pneumonia.

He registers to give again at the age of 18

Far from being discouraged, the young man, the month of his 18 years, will register on the bone marrow donor registry at the French Blood Establishment (EFS). “When someone says to me ‘You are going to be able to make yourself useful’, I answer ‘Where do we sign?’, He laughs. Now it’s easier, we can do it
online. During the preliminary interview, the doctor is surprised at his young age. “Sign up, that’s fine, but you’re an actor, you can speak up higher. This is how Jean-Charles found himself sponsor of the mobilization for bone marrow donation from his majority.

But this is only the beginning. In May 2019, he received a message from the Biomedicine Agency. “I thought it was for an interview,” he recalls. But surprise, I am told: “You are compatible with someone who needs a bone marrow donation, are you still voluntary?”. I’ve been talking about it for years, so the day I can do it again, I go for it. Knowing that people on the registry have a one in 1 million chance of being compatible with a stranger.

See you on July 1 at Saint-Antoine Hospital. This time, Jean-Charles experiences the gift by cytapheresis, without general anesthesia. “Medicine is evolving, so much the better! It looks like the donation of platelets: a plug in each arm, a big spinning machine, zero pain, we lie down for 3 hours, we can sleep, which I did not hesitate to do! I had returned from a tour at 2 a.m. At one point I turn on the TV and I see myself in Our dear neighbors ! “

In June 2020, the Biomedicine Agency contacted him again to ask for an additional donation for the same patient. “I agreed, obviously. But I wondered if he was okay. I was told that he was doing very well. Without going into any detail. Because bone marrow donation, like any donation in France, is anonymous and free. So Jean-Charles will only know about this stranger two things: “he is a young man, and we were the same weight at the time of the operation”. And will have to be satisfied with it. “I find it incredible that we have the same genetic code, the compatibility is so improbable… I would have been very happy to meet him, but I understand the reasons why it remains anonymous. Some are unarmed if things go wrong. And we should not go into unethical tricks of blackmail, money… ”

“It’s harmless, I’m the best example! “

Jean-Charles therefore wears his “life watchman” badge everywhere, a good gateway to raise awareness around him. “That people would rather not give, I am not judging. On the other hand, when they could be volunteers but did not register on the register because of ignorance, we did not do our job. “

In high schools, in the media, around him, Jean-Charles repeats over and over again that no, this donation does not hurt. “Today, 70% of donations are made by cytapheresis, so it’s very light. The bone marrow is rebuilt in a short time. It’s harmless, I am the best example! Unfortunately, there is confusion between bone marrow donation and spinal cord donation. “

He therefore suggests that we talk about it during the defense and citizenship day , “Because it is compulsory and we are not far from 18 years old. “While welcoming the progress made:” We went from 170,000 to 300,000 registered on the register in a few years. So it’s moving forward! My greatest pride was the day when explaining my journey on France Bleu, the Biomedicine Agency server jumped. Too many connections. That is the class ! “