Town halls, buildings, structures... We explain why they will be lit up in blue on Monday, May 12th.

A soft light, but charged with a strong message.

On May 12, to mark World Fibromyalgia Day, the facades of the town halls of Cannes, Nice, Valbonne, Peymeinade, as well as the Château de la Napoule and the old bridge of Biot will be lit in blue.

In Cannes, there will also be a voice that will champion this cause, which is still too little heard: Fabienne Delbarre Daleki, a former home help and now a representative of the Fibromyalgies.fr association.

This chronic disease, recognized since 1992 by the WHO but still not officially considered a pathology in France, causes diffuse pain, profound exhaustion, cognitive disorders, insomnia and even depression.

According to the French National Health Authority, 1.5 million people are affected in France, but most are still unaware of its name, its effects, and its invisibility. "It's a wandering disease, which has not yet been given a name in French medical protocols," summarizes Fabienne. "You can spend years looking for what you have. And when you finally find a name, there's no treatment, no specific care, and no recognition as a long-term condition."

A stand to say the unspeakable

On the Allées de la Liberté, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Monday, Fabienne Delbarre Daleki, who herself suffers from fibromyalgia, will be holding an information stand, a marquee loaned by the City to alert, raise awareness, and provide guidance. With explanatory panels, advice, and a lot of listening. "There are more and more of us at the Cannes hospital. Every two months, with psychologist Laurence Barbaud, we organize meetings for patients. And they arrive by the wagonload…" she sighs. Because this suffering is invisible to medical examinations, but omnipresent in daily life. Persistent fatigue, bouts of pain that leave you bedridden, blurred memory, severe insomnia: "It's a body that gives out without warning and a head that ends up giving out too. How can you hold down a job under these conditions?" asks Fabienne, herself forced to stop working. Despite the treatments sometimes attempted, the symptoms remain erratic, often debilitating. And while waiting for a clear legislative framework, it is the D system with mutual aid and support groups that keeps the sick on their feet.

Across France, nearly 500 town halls have agreed to illuminate their buildings this year. In the Alpes-Maritimes region, the mobilization is strong. "It's a symbolic gesture, but it can engage a passerby, get people talking, and ask questions. That's also why we're fighting. To no longer have to justify our suffering." A bill is currently circulating in the National Assembly to have fibromyalgia recognized as a separate condition. A hope that may still be distant, but it remains vital.