Paris (France) (AFP) – For its 40th edition, on December 4 and 5, the Telethon intends to “reverse the disease” by retracing four decades of progress against rare diseases, with the ambition of surpassing the 2025 collection.
Published on: 03/11/2026 - 12:01
The charity marathon, broadcast for 30 hours on France Télévisions channels, will be sponsored this year by singer Patrick Fiori.
The 2025 edition concluded with 83.5 million euros in pledges at the end of the weekend and more than 100 million in the end. It was in 2006 that the counter reached its record: more than 106 million.
In addition to the thousands of challenges and activities across the country, this anniversary edition will be marked by a big novelty: two buses will leave from Châtelaillon (Charente-Maritime) and Barby (Savoie) on Friday to meet volunteers and families, before converging on Paris on Saturday evening.
The broadcasts will return to the history of the Telethon, born in the United States and imported to France in 1987 by Bernard Barataud and Pierre Birambeau, who died at the end of October. Both were fathers of a child suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an incurable disease that has become emblematic of the Telethon.
The Telethon "has become, over the years, an incredible human, scientific and medical adventure", underlines the president of the AFM-Téléthon, Laurence Tiennot-Herment, Tuesday in a press release. “Nearly four decades later, a revolution in medicine is underway. It treats, saves and transforms lives,” she adds.
Like every year, advances in gene and cell therapies will be presented, while giving a voice to families still waiting for treatment.
Among the faces of this 40th edition, Elena, 15 years old, suffers from Crigler-Najjar syndrome, a rare genetic liver disease. After benefiting in 2023 from an experimental gene therapy developed by Généthon, the Téléthon laboratory, the teenager no longer needs to sleep under the phototherapy lamps which punctuated her nights.
Arthur and Raphaël, two twins suffering from spinal muscular atrophy, received gene therapy fifteen days after their birth and do not show symptoms, according to the organizers.
However, the emergency remains unresolved for other families, such as that of Jean, suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or of eight-year-old Gabin, whose illness remains undiagnosed.
To mobilize a younger audience, the “Telethon Cup” will bring together more than 200 streamers and content creators on Twitch. The traditional Rare Disease Walk in Paris and a large solidarity raffle are also on the program.
Donations can be made to 3637, until December 11, or on telethon.fr.
© 2026 AFP
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