The story begins on a spring day.
The mildest, shyest season plays hide-and-seek with the clouds and heralds a new hope.
In the classroom, the boys and girls of the second-year secondary school classes have set aside their characteristic sparkling liveliness, typical of a carefree age, and reflect on how much a “yes” can make a difference.
They listen, with serious interest, to the words of Giorgio Tincani, the inspired coordinator of school activities promoted by Aido in the province of Monza and Brianza, accompanied by volunteer Carla Caglio. At the sound of the bell, they greet the kind speakers, who are always available to answer questions.
Day after day, the classes meditate on this important life lesson under the guidance of their teachers. After reflecting at length and with care during Professor Alessandra Pozzi’s Science lessons, they translate the values of the Italian Association for the Donation of Organs, Tissues, and Cells into an artistic creation, under the supervision of Miriam Arlati, teacher of Art and Image.
At stake is a challenge: to make a difference in the “An Image for Life” competition, an initiative open to local schools that aims, among other things, to spread Aido’s mission.
Donating a heart can make a new life bloom, reads the caption of the drawing (on display until the end of May, along with other works, at our school and at the San Clemente cultural center in Cazzano) by one of the young participants in the initiative, which saw the victory of Greta Vergani, a student in class 2A; on the podium with her were Vanessa Curioni (2B, second place) and Camilla Ripamonti (2A, third). But Greta was not the only one to win: all the students who worked with dedication on the project were winners.
“The first point of the statutes, written at the birth of Aido in 1973 and updated over the years, emphasizes that the Association must provide information to develop a culture of giving; the second reminds us that this activity must be carried out primarily in schools,” explains Giorgio Tincani. “Unfortunately, there is still a lot of confusion on the subject. If there were more information, it would be possible to save more lives. To fully understand the issue, let us consider one figure: every year, about 9,000 people are placed on the waiting list to receive an organ. However, in the same period of time, only 5,000 transplants are performed…
In short, it should be easy to understand that if there were greater awareness, this ‘gap’ could be bridged more easily.
That is why we must work on providing information, starting from schools: it is important for new generations to understand how vital the culture of giving is.”
A culture that also involves promoting a healthy lifestyle, to be pursued through sports and a healthy diet, as also noted by the coordinator. He adds: “Middle school students welcome our interventions with great interest and participation. They want to know more and ask for clarification on the subject.
Often, one of the last questions they ask me before saying goodbye is: ‘Giorgio, why doesn’t everyone decide to become a donor?’ My answer is clear and simple: ‘My dear students, you have fully grasped the meaning of our meeting’.”
The story continues. The protagonists are our students, committed to cultivating the seed of awareness.
Article written by Professor Pozzoli
