SCHIO (VICENZA). He took a pen and paper and wrote his little letter to Santa Claus. A little letter which, however, on the journey between Schio (Vicenza) and Rovaniemi, made a small detour, until it reached Vigorso di Budriothe town in the Bolognese area famous throughout Europe for hosting a authentic center of excellence for rehabilitation. This structure, however, also fell victim to the floods that hit Emilia-Romagna last month.
Ma Samuel, six years oldthe protagonist of this story destined for a happy ending, did not lose heart. AND, addressing his hero with the white beard, he wrote to him: “Dear Santa Claus, for Christmas I would like to have a prosthesis.” With a small clarification: “Okay, I’m beautiful even if I have short legs.”
And yesterday the answer arrived: «We plan to reopen our orthopedic workshop in the second half of January. We called Samuel’s parents, telling them they will be among the first we contact. They have our word” assures Angelo Andretta, director of the prosthetic center.
It is the gift that Samuel wants, more than any other. Affected, since birth – or rather, since “when I was still in my mother’s belly”, to use his words, written to Santa Claus – by a serious malformation of a femur.
Samuel, with his mother Francesca and father Giorgio, attended hospitals throughout Italy. From the first visits to Vicenza, when it was not yet known whether it would be a boy or a girl. And then Verona, where “everyone is splendid”. And finally the Gaslini hospital in Genoa, where an amused doctor told his parents: “You can’t understand, but no one will hold this child down.” Here is the story of Samuel’s life, which the child told in great detail to Santa Claus.
Up to Budrio: the «super famous Inali prosthesis center in Budrio», Samuel specifies, «My prosthesis is not so simple to make. It’s particular, because mine is not an amputation, but a malformation.”
The specialists at the center have known Samuel forever. «Because his serious disability requires and, unfortunately, will forever require the application of prostheses, made by one of our production lines in Budrio» explains director Andretta. “And then, given the age of relatively rapid growth of children, his visits here are frequent, for periodic makeovers.”
One of these was set on one of the days of the first flood that hit the prosthetic center. Postponed, the new date fell at the height of the second flood, when the Idice river overflowed, flooding the structure. «It is a very frustrating situation for us too – admits Andretta – because since 20 September the production activity of over 150 people, including technicians and specialists of various kinds, has stopped. When possible, we are moving the processing to our other two prosthetic centers in Rome and Lamezia Terme, but we can’t wait to start again. And we promised Samuel that his prosthesis will be among the first we make, as soon as we can reopen the center.”
Furthermore, Samuel is not the only child whose daily life is intertwined with the centre’s activities. «No, there are many children who attend our facility» says Andretta, «When we read Samuel’s letter, we were movedbecause for us this work is a passion and a commitment. This is why we can’t wait for Samuel to finally have his prosthesis.” Although, we all know it by now: it’s beautiful even with the short leg.
