Mario is five years old and lives with his father's lung, who underwent the first living transplant surgery in Italy to save him.

"He is well and plays, he will be able to go to school like other children and lead a life like everyone else", says his father Anduel, a 34-year-old Albanian engineer who - very excited - tells his story in front of microphones, at the Papa Giovanni hospital XXIII of Bergamo. He donated part of his lung to his son.

“When the doctors asked me if I agreed, I immediately replied: I'm ready. That day I was speechless: it was the most important day of my life because I could have saved my son. There are no words for the emotion I'm feeling».

The transplant, performed last January 17 on Pope John by Dr. Michele Colledan's team, went well and on February 21, the son was discharged and is doing well. «I don't know how to thank what has been done – added the parent, very moved -. Alone I can save a life: this means that we cannot all save the world, but many lives can. Mario knows what happened and only says that he has to heal to be able to go back to living a normal life. His first wish was a Lego, he's a big fan. Of course we gave it to him."

«My husband is my life and my son is my soul - said mother Ornela moved -: life has many difficulties and we mothers are strong. Today Mario plays and eats alone: it's a great joy. However, the road is still long, but we are strong and we are here beside him. The first thing Mario asked when he came out of the operating room was: how is dad?».

Dr. Colledan, director of the Transplant Department and of General Surgery 3 of the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital, recounted the odyssey: «When I proposed, at the beginning of the process, the hypothesis of a living transplant, the family di Mario not only never hesitated, but they told me that if I hadn't proposed it, they would have asked me. The lung is among the most rejected organs, but in this case the child will never reject the father's lung."

Both father and son are in good health. After the operation, the baby was in intensive care for two weeks, then he resumed breathing on his own. And also for the father, who donated 5 of the 19 parts that make up an adult lung, an "absolutely normal and risk-free" life is expected.