33 The Sick Child’s Teddy Bear

L’ourson du malade

Dakar |

Senegal

French

Behind the scenes

The inspiration for this text comes from a deeply personal and tragic story that left a lasting impression on me. I wanted to convey the complex and often conflicting emotions that illness can bring: tenderness, nostalgia, pain, injustice, hope, loneliness, anger, and a loss of bearings.

In writing it, I chose to step into the mind of the patient, using deliberately simple, almost childlike language, accompanied by an illustration in the same spirit.

I also wanted to evoke those suspended moments: the endless boredom of long hospital days – here embodied by the monotonous hum of a fan – and the injustice of a world suddenly closed off, when a child should be outside running, playing, and discovering life.

In this emptiness, a simple object can become a refuge, a source of hope. The teddy bear in the text and illustration embodies that fragile presence we hold on to in order to keep dreaming.

Echoes of the world

The story takes place in Dakar, Senegal, a country where French plays a particular role. Inherited from its colonial history, the language now acts as a bridge between many local languages such as Wolof, Pulaar, or Serer. Words often move from one language to another. For example, the Wolof word teranga, widely used in Senegal, means “hospitality” and reflects a central cultural value.

The word doudou is also used as an affectionate term for someone you love or wish to protect.

The dream described in the text imagines a journey from Dakar to Kilimanjaro, like a fantastical crossing of Africa from west to east.
This dream of travel reflects a universal idea: even in the most difficult moments, the human mind seeks horizons in order to keep hoping.

Listen to an audio excerpt of the text