The interview room of the Anesthesia and Resuscitation unit of Brotzu in Cagliari was dedicated to Paolo Pizzi, the first organ donor in Sardinia whose young life, in January 1988, at the age of 11, was tragically interrupted. From the pain of his family was born an act of extraordinary generosity that marked a historic turning point: the start of the transplant program on the Island.
The space was inaugurated today: welcoming, designed to offer comfort and privacy to the families of hospitalized patients, it is an environment embellished by the artistic intervention of Giorgio Casu and was made possible thanks to the sensitivity of Roberto Tumbarello, a pillar of the Company for years, and the constant support of the general manager Agnese Foddis. Also present were the doctors who in 1988 had the courage to overcome the stringent regulatory barriers of the time . Among them, Franco Meloni, then health director, Ugo Storelli, Paolo Pettinao and Pierfelice Todde, professionals whose commitment and determination made the first kidney transplant in Sardinia possible. Also attending the ceremony were the mayor of Sinnai (the little boy's hometown) Barbara Pusceddu and the councilor for Health, Social Services and Public Education Roberto Demontis
A complex decision, but one that saved the life of a young woman, transforming pain into hope.
Paolo Pizzi was hit by a car while riding his bike. His condition immediately appeared desperate and, in a moment of unimaginable suffering, his parents found the strength to make an extraordinary gesture: to say yes to organ donation. That consent became a light of hope, paving the way for a new culture of solidarity and life.
The ceremony was attended by his father Francesco Pizzi, his sister Rita Pizzi and his sister-in-law Carla Tevere, as well as his mother Angela Pisu, who, still overwhelmed by emotion, explained: «For me he was a gift, I had to transform him for others».
