Annie Barois died on 30 January in her 95th year. She was a university professor, pediatrician and intensive care specialist and former head of the intensive care unit at Garches Hospital. Her whole life was devoted to others, and in particular to children suffering from neuromuscular diseases.
Sick children were a big part of her life. A Paediatrician settled in Garches in 1963, Annie Barois spent her entire career there in her department, which was soon reorganised around neuromuscular diseases. In the early 1970s, she became involved with the AFM-Téléthon, and joined the Association’s Scientific Council in 1988.
(video in French)
“She didn’t believe in miracles, but in the slim chances of success. Invested in her mission to provide relief and care, she also kept abreast of advances in research, which she then endeavoured, with rare skill, to use rigorously and ethically. We owe her as much for the famous ‘Garchois corset’ as for her wise use of the latest advances in neuromuscular therapies. His detailed knowledge of neuropaediatrics and intensive care was essential in conducting neuromuscular clinical trials and supporting patients. (…)
Today, we pay tribute to her kindness and humanity. She was an exceptional medical expert, a pioneer of the SMA who paved the way for new therapies, and a protective and reassuring companion for our families. Today, we are orphans, we mourn Annie”, declared Laurence Tiennot-Hermet, President of AFM-Téléthon, and Serge Braun, Scientific Director of the Association.
