Trained to protect, he agreed to be saved

January 2000. A rifleman in the marine commandos and experienced in rescue operations, Arnaud is seriously injured during an operation to evacuate French nationals in Djibouti. His brothers in arms give him first aid. Repatriated in less than twenty-four hours, soldier Sallembien was admitted to intensive care at the Percy military hospital (Hauts-de-Seine).

Plunged into a coma, he suffered from craniocerebral trauma. “A month later, the day I woke up, I was haunted by a certainty: during my long sleep where I no longer had any notion of time or space, life and death presented themselves before me. I accepted to be saved. At that precise moment, I experienced my encounter with God. »

At only 25 years old, Arnaud must relearn everything: eat, drink, speak, walk. “I, the marine prepared for extreme situations, was naked and vulnerable again. Like a toddler. » Now disabled, Arnaud will no longer be able to serve in the marine commandos. “I should have despaired about it. However, it was as if a life force was putting everything in place in my existence: the presence of caregivers, my loved ones and a magnificent encounter. »

Indeed, two years after his injury, while he was gradually regaining his autonomy, Arnaud met his future wife, Ridas. “His presence immediately calmed me down. Together, we move forward with confidence, “malembe”, that is to say gently, a word she pronounces often. Originally from the Republic of Congo where she spent a youth marked by separations, Ridas also draws immense strength from her faith. »

Married in 2003, Arnaud and Ridas now have three children and are very involved in their evangelical community in Lorient (Morbihan). “I have a thirst to help those I meet. Every day I need to thank the Lord that I have been saved. He gave me so much. » During disabled sports competitions organized in war wounded circles, Arnaud likes to meet other disabled people. “I want to give the desire to live and surpass themselves to those who no longer have confidence in their abilities. »*

* In 2015, Catherine Escrive accompanied Arnaud Sallembien in writing his testimony Thunderstruck, my life after the commandos (Ed. du Cerf).