Château-Salins. Severely disabled, he talks about his chronic sciatica at the age of 28.

He's had lower back pain for years, but no one can tell him what caused it. Armand Lévy, 28, from Château-Salins, moved to Paris to begin his law studies at 18. For the past six years, he's been dealing with an incomprehensible medical situation. Lower back pain has become a part of his daily life, and since then, there's been no progress in understanding the causes of his disability.

The beginnings of this law student's studies were nevertheless promising. He was twice admitted to the École nationale supérieure (ENS) and graduated with two master's degrees in law. It was in 2019 that his health took a turn. An insidious pain in his lower back set in, but the cause remained unknown. Little by little, his life came to a standstill. Because of this chronic sciatica, he could only walk "a few meters," "could no longer sit or lie on his back for more than five minutes," and spent a lot of time lying down. A long medical process began, during which he underwent several dozen imaging tests as well as isthmic reconstruction surgery in 2022, to no avail. "There is a lack of correlation between the medical results and what I experience on a daily basis," he explains. "For six years, things have been getting worse and worse."

To adjust to his new life, he adapted his apartment to accommodate his disability. Hospital tables allowed him to access his computer from his bed, and specialized cushions, booster seats, a chair, and a mattress specialized for his back had to be found.

The idea of sharing his situation with a wider audience wasn't initially an option. But eight weeks ago, the situation deteriorated. He became almost unable to move, and could only lie on his stomach all day. Some friends of his decided to create an online fundraiser to share his medical records, in the hope of sparking other avenues of research. The fundraiser, called Support for Armand, can be found on GoFundMe. "The idea of sharing this with people you know, you feel a little humiliated to find yourself in this state in front of others," he confides. "But I feel like it's already worked a little." The outpouring of solidarity allowed him to be contacted by a physiotherapist and a doctor. "I also received lots of messages from my childhood friends; it really touched me to see that people were sensitive to my story," he concludes.

Link to the GoFundMe fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/soutien-pour-armand-sortir-de-lerrance-medicale