“Lto Lega del Filo d’Oro saved my son’s life ”. Mother Raffaela talks about his son Yusef, suffering from Down syndrome and deaf from birth (then at the age of three he was diagnosed with a behavioral disorder, self-harm, which led him to lose his sight at 9 years old). Delicate words, but full of shivering truth, said with “heart in hand”, in front of a large audience of operators, volunteers of the association, users and families, gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a new ” point of light “. There first territorial seat of the Lega del Filo d’Oro in Pisain via Bovio 14, (the mayor of the Municipality of Pisa was also present Michele Conti and the president of the Foundation Rossano Bartoli), in business since 2020but then abruptly interrupted by the pandemic.
“We have found love, now Youssef is happy”
In January 2020, Raffaela Malvone discovers the Lega del Filo d’Oro. Until that time the family, originally from Lucca, had relied on the local assistance network and heavily on its own strengths. “After Youssef’s loss of sight in 2019, our son passed away, he was no longer playing, he did not eat, he did not sleep. We lived in terror and despair. But we didn’t lose heart and decided to ask the association for help. We immediately found listening, assistance, but above all love. On the first day of therapy, the smile returned to Youssef’s face. Until then we lived in symbiosis, it was difficult to accept the separation, but I decided to trust, today Youssef has been living in the residential socio-health center of Osimo (main office of the association) where every day he follows an ad hoc rehabilitation process assisted by educators and operators (there are many mothers for him), while I am back to enjoy the mother-child relationship. In hindsight, I can say I made a love choicebecause he is finally a happy child ”.
Ribbon cutting for the Pisan headquarters: “A little Osimo near home”
“I hope to find in Pisa the same warmth found in Osimo – says mother Raffaela -. The embrace of the city in the province of Ancona to these boys and girls that everyone knows how to approach without prejudice. The work of the volunteers is extraordinary and it was also during the pandemic, the system has always worked, without interruptions. Today it is nice to see the grandmothers who give a little of their time to these children, when they arrive everyone knows it: it’s time for a beautiful fairy tale ”.
“A small, large venue for many families in the area”
“Being present with our offices and services on several levels means being able to provide all-round, continuous and constant territorial support to a greater number of people with deafblindness and their families, accompanying them step by step in the concrete implementation of the individual programs defined. to the National Center – declared the president of the Foundation Rossano Bartoli -. In Pisa, in the course of 2021, the office followed 29 users, including children, teenagers and adults. We hope for the future to expand our services, thanks also to the support of the network woven with associations, public and private bodies and universities in the area, the necessary relationships to build a more inclusive society ”. For the mayor of Pisa, Michele Conti: “That of Pisa is a small one, but for the service it offers a large venue able to offer an assistance service of great value for our territory (and for the whole of Tuscany). A space of hope for the future of young people and adults and their families ”.