Our campaign: Beyond

Hey! How is it going?

I need to talk to you...It’s been a hard time for me lately. Today, I felt sick again and I’ve just come home. Guess what? I have cancer.

I wonder why... why me? Where did I go wrong? You know, at first when doctors told me I had cancer I coped with it.

However, when they told me that I’d have to start chemotherapy, I felt like something broke inside of me.

I realized that bad things just pop up. No advance warning. Chemotherapy is devastating. You feel like your body is fighting to eliminate the poison

that is in your blood. You feel cold, but you can’t warm up. I had no strength. I couldn’t read, and you know how much I like reading

I could only look at the trees and at the changing clouds from my balcony. You start feeling really sick when you start losing your hair. You cannot hide your illness

anymore, not even to yourself. The image reflected in the mirror is horrible. I would like to fall asleep and wake up when all is over.

We can choose to be afraid and shiver and think of all the bad things that could come next.

Or we can move forward, take a step into the unknown confident that the best is yet to come.

Good things, like bad things, just pop up. I think about my family. Their concern made me forget mine.

I think about my husband, who stood by my side all the time.

I think about my friends who never make me feel alone!

I’ve been lucky for I’ve had all these special people by my side, each one in their own way.

There were those who helped me, even if I didn’t ask them to those who helped me handle everyday practical activities, those who cuddled me, those who shared my suffering but could also laugh to defuse the situation.

You know what? Now I don’t care about the mess in my house anymore.

I don’t care about perfection. I have learnt that the greatest discoveries come from the fact you don’t accept giving up.

I can’t help being moved by the fact that I can breathe fresh air and that there is nothing above my head that separates me from the sky... neither roofs nor barriers... not even my hair!

Very often, you need to hit rock bottom and be defenceless to understand that you only need to open your eyes  to see that there are new opportunities out there.
I am moved to tears when I think about all these things... but that’s not because I am sad. It is because I almost lost them.

Cancer has made me lose several things and I don’t know how this situation will come to an end. However, I am not afraid.

I am not afraid because I know I have already won.

I know that many people love me remember me and carry me in their hearts. That’s all I need.

Now, the freedom, the strength and the love of these people have become mine.

The storm has passed, the wind is calming down and the clouds are fading away.

That is the exact moment when you realize that you’ve been strong enough to survive and that you will always be brave enough to start again.

Behind the clouds, the sun is always shining.

To oncological patients of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

To Marta who taught me what courage is.

English Subtitles: Elena Mossa 

Marta Maestri

Margherita Zagato

Luciana Fiori

Tania Dussin

To oncological patients of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

ONCOLOGY ESTHETICS
Special thanks to Angela Noviello who cares about the training of medical and aesthetic staff

REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICE OF EMILIA ROMAGNA
All operators who day by day guarantee a high quality service, listening and care for cancer patients and their families. In particular, Bellaria Hospital and St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital of Bologna

ANT NATIONAL CANCER ASSOCIATION
That every day enters the houses of many families fighting cancer by providing care, treatment and continuous attention

AIL ITALIAN ASSOCIATION AGAINST LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA AND MYELOMA
That for 40 years promotes and supports scientific research, improving the quality of life of patients and their families

MUNICIPALITY OF PIANORO
To the municipality and its citizens that work every day to make the place we live better, cleaner and where I want to see my children growing up