FELTRE / CESIOMAGGIORE – The smile of Samantha Calzavara, 49 years old from Cesiolina, he died forever on Monday, but the great life lesson he has been able to give in recent years will remain etched in the hearts of the family and of all those who have had the good fortune to know her and cross her path. Yes, because despite the pain and suffering that characterized her last ten years of life, due to a severe form of progressive degenerative sclerosis that hit her, she has always had great fortitude. She has always tried to smile and instill hope and positivity in others. To take away Samantha at just 49 years of age an aggressive form of pneumonia.
Multiple sclerosis, a collection between friends to help Samantha
THE BATTLE
Samantha was a cheerful, sunny and full of life girl. She originally came from Cesiomaggiore, she lived for years in Feltre where she was well known as she had worked in several shops in the city center. Then about ten years ago the discovery of her disease, progressive degenerative sclerosis. But she did not give up and began to fight, also making her situation public with a letter-complaint sent to Il Gazzettino in 2014 in which she explained that in the face of very expensive treatments she could only count on a disability allowance of 500 euros from the ‘Inps. Her illness over the years has deprived her of the use of her legs, arms, swallowing, speech, everything. Although, precisely because of her determination and that of her family, the woman had tried everything. From physiotherapy sessions to existing therapies, including experimental ones abroad. Everything useless. But despite this she has always fought for her life. To go back to her house. A few months ago the woman was hit by Covid, but she was out of it. Then a pneumonia that had forced her to hospital for two months now. Her body, perhaps weakened by the virus itself, was unable to fight this new disease. And Samantha gave up on Monday afternoon. She leaves her parents and four sisters. In the epigraphs that announced the death of their loved one we read: «Your sufferings lasted too long. You fought a lot but in the end you had to give up. It was hard to let you go, but in the end we had to. Fly free and go up there, someone is waiting for you. Hi Samy ».
THE “THANK YOU”
Despite the difficult time that the family is going through, Sister Marika wanted to thank «all the people who, even without knowing her, helped us to allow her to go abroad to try experimental treatments against the disease with stem cells. A therapy that could only be done abroad and very expensive even if, unfortunately, it did not slow down the course of the disease. I had never had the opportunity to publicly thank all these people. And there were so many, each as much as possible. I want to do it now. ”
THE MEMORY
And it is her sister Marika who, even with a broken voice, wanted to remember the great teaching left by Samantha: «my sister was always courageous, right up to the last moment of her life. The day before she died, whoever asked her how she was doing, she answered well. Because she was like that. Samantha was a tenacious person and attached to life; even the nurses and hospital staff told me. Despite everything she wanted to keep fighting. She too half an hour before she died she looked at me and she told me that she didn’t want to go, that she wanted to go back to her house. Here is this strength of her I will carry it with me forever as a teaching ».
THE LETTER
It was December 2014 when, with the courage that distinguished her, Samantha Calzavara made her illness public. Here are the lines that she then wrote to Il Gazzettino
When I was told a year ago that I had multiple sclerosis, I was with my father. I wasn’t sure what to think, knowing nothing or very little about this disease. I remember taking him by the arm, actually saying that there are worse things in life. I think so even now, now that I no longer drive a car, that I no longer walk, that I no longer work, now that I always need someone to go somewhere, now that I can no longer hold my grandson, now that I go around with the invalid card, now that I can no longer be as I was before, now that I no longer know anything. Since that day my life has changed and also that of the people close to me. Everything is new and there is no moment in which I am not afraid, because I am powerless in the face of all this. Every morning when I open my eyes I hope it’s a good day, but this is sometimes really difficult. I wrote this letter partly as a personal outburst, partly to let you know about my situation. The type of multiple sclerosis that hit me is hardly manageable with medication. They certainly help me, but up to a certain point, because my medicine is physiotherapy, the swimming pool and everything that makes me feel good, even better, with my hands. The Ministry of Health affirms that for those suffering from these forms of disease all this is indispensable, it is essential to maintain a form of life that allows us to still be someone. Physiotherapy is given to us once a year, the associations go as far as they can because they have no funds, ditto the municipalities. If I want more I have to pay a private individual and here we come to the point. I receive an INPS pension of 501 euros per month. I have a disability of eighty percent and not reaching one hundred percent I do not deserve anything more, practically if you are already “rich” they help you, otherwise you have to make do. How many are for rent. So I ask myself: dear gentlemen, how the hell does a person live the daily routine managing to pay for the treatment too? Because for me they are cures. I need therapies at least three or four times a week, but how do I do it? I feel my body slipping away from me day after day. I can’t stop the disease, but I can slow it down. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I know that I want to continue living as intensely as possible, always. We are many who are in difficulty, too many, but it is also true that we are the ones who pay for health care and I believe it is our right to be protected, as Italians but above all as people. It is not my intent to be pitied, but to be understood. My greatest fortune is to have a family that I love to death, they love me to death, in all possible ways. I find strength thanks to them because they are my strength. Multiple sclerosis strikes you in silence and in silence it remains, forever, inside you even if it seems to me that I always hear a lot of noise …
Samantha
Calzavara
41 years Feltre