"I have Parkinson's. I was diagnosed in November 2020." Dario Franceschini, a Democratic Party senator and former Minister of Culture, spoke about his illness for the first time in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
"The diagnosis was a tremendous blow. I'd had a heart attack in 2014, plus a few other ailments that had resolved well. But, after all, they were just bumps in the road that we all anticipate. Parkinson's is a different disease; it stays with you forever."
Franceschini, who a few years ago bought a Campidano house in Maracalagonis , where he lives, explains that his initial reaction was to try to hide the disease. "Those affected by Parkinson's tend to feel ashamed. They speak poorly, slur, or walk unsteadily, like drunks. Others are shaken by uncontrollable tremors." But, he emphasizes, "it's crucial not to get discouraged, to wake up in the morning with something to accomplish. To try to fight Parkinson's, in addition to medication, it's crucial to be able to fill your days and tell yourself: I won't give up, I'll keep living, I'll keep being here." This is the reason he chose to make his diagnosis public. "Talking publicly about my disease, obviously, is hard on me, and a lot," says Franceschini. "But I thought about it for a long time: and, weighing the pros and cons, I've convinced myself that it's right to describe this particular stage of my life. To say to all other Parkinson's sufferers: don't isolate yourselves, keep living."
(Unioneonline)
