(ANSA) – PADUA, 07 SEPTEMBER – Three years after his liver transplant, he has returned to a normal life and even played sports. He is Lorenzo Baliello, 51, born in Padua and resident in Vigonovo since 2007. His story was the focus yesterday of the “Donare è Rock” evening organized with Aido to raise awareness of organ donation and held as part of the Sagrone currently taking place in Vigonovo. The band “Le erbe gramigne” provided the music. Baliello is married to Maddalena and has an 11-year-old son Matteo. “In 2003 I was diagnosed with a rare degenerative liver disease, PSC, primary sclerosing cholangitis,” Baliello said. “In 18 years it caused me to develop cirrhosis, to the point where I was put on the waiting list for a liver transplant in January 2021.” In July of the same year, after hospitalizations, sacrifices, suffering, the first call arrived but the liver was not compatible. “After eight days, however, I received the second call and finally on July 29, 2021 I was transplanted in Padua by the excellent Professor Gringeri of Professor Cillo’s team, an excellence in hepatobiliary transplants in Italy and Europe – he said – . The operation lasted eleven hours and was a complete success, so much so that I was discharged only after eight days”.
The recovery was slow but continuous despite two small rejection crises and numerous medications. “Also thanks to my tenacity and desire to return to a normal life – he added – I was able to return to sports like years before when I practiced cross-country skiing at a competitive level” Baliello was in fact a member of the Sci Nordico Terme Euganee company and participated in various international Gran Fondo races, such as the Marcialonga and the Dobbiaco Cortina, races of 70 and 42 kilometers respectively. In January of this year he obtained competitive fitness. Full of enthusiasm he re-registered for the international Gran Fondo of 37 kilometers “Dobbiaco Cortina” the only transplanted among about a thousand athletes from all over Europe. On February 4 he participated and finished the 37-kilometer race with great pride and satisfaction for the feat that he never thought he would be able to face again. (ANSA).
2024-09-07 20:09:35