Uka guides the steps of Adrien, who is blind

In 2018, we met Adrien Garcia-Martinez, who became blind in 2016 following an accident. To help him in his daily life, the association "Les Chiens guides d'aveugles Provence Côte d'Azur Corse" (Guide Dogs for the Blind Provence Côte d'Azur Corsica) lent him a dog at the time, a 3-year-old female Labrador named Laïka. Today, Laïka is reaching retirement age and is now in a foster family, where she is enjoying a well-deserved rest.

Needless to say, Adrien's grief was immense during this separation. " The association initially warned me that it was time for Laïka, who is 10 years old, to retire. She came to take back my faithful companion. Even though I knew that this painful moment would come one day, it was a real heartbreak. I cried so much that you could have watered your plants with my tears. Just talking about it again still brings tears to my eyes," recalls the Maximois, still as moved as ever, who spent seven happy years with this dog. "We had a wonderful relationship, a bit like a marriage!"

A time of adaptation

With Laïka gone, the association has just entrusted another dog to Adrien. The introduction took place last week, he met Uka, a 2-year-old female Labrador. Sandrine Lebreton, technical director at the association, is spending about ten days with the new pair. "Uka was placed in a volunteer foster family and attended the association's education center in Eze (06). She was trained and coached there by specialized educators to become a guide dog." The technical director will be present all week to ensure that the owner and his dog are using the same codes. "It took us between 6 months and a year for Laïka and I to develop good coordination," recalls Adrien. On well-defined routes, Uka will be able to take her owner to do her shopping, go to the doctor, or to the pharmacy.

Protected passages, always a concern

Crossing pedestrian crossings is always a tricky process, as Adrien knows well, and he's had a few scares in the past. "I always carry my (white) cane so drivers know about my disability. I think some young people don't even know what disability this accessory corresponds to; on several occasions, I've felt vehicles brush past me, refusing me the right of way."

Once the grief of separating from Laïka is over, Adrien will now experience another wonderful story of complicity with Uka, his new partner! The head of the Var delegation, Corinne Tortora, and Dominique Larché, a volunteer with the association, traveled to entrust this dog to Adrien. A certain cost...