TURIN: MOTHER SAVES SIX-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER WITH LIVER TRANSPLANT – "SHE HAS MY LIVER AND IS PLAYING AGAIN"

Turin, Italy – "Both my baby and I are doing well. I'm struggling a bit with the post-operative recovery, perhaps due to the release of accumulated tension. The baby is actually in even better shape: three days after the transplant, I saw her playing with a ball, amidst all the tubes. She is strong, her recovery has been incredible." These are the words of the 32-year-old mother who donated a piece of her liver to her less-than-six-month-old daughter, saving her from certain death.

The infant was suffering from a rare malformation. The 13-hour surgery was performed at the liver transplant center of Le Molinette Hospital in Turin. The mother has been home for a few days, while her daughter will remain at the Regina Margherita children's hospital for about another week.

A Mother's Strength and Family Support

"My courage in facing all this," the 32-year-old explained, "comes from being supported by an exceptional family, my husband first and foremost, and both our parents. Knowing I could count on them during the post-operative period was fundamental. Now, they are primarily visiting the baby, and I'm trying to get back in shape. My husband has been our pillar. He is extremely sensitive, suffered a lot, and converted these emotions into courage and hope. His strength of spirit impressed me greatly and has united me even more with him."

"We are overjoyed," said the father. "It feels like a miracle: we were told she only had a few weeks to live, but now it seems our daughter can have her whole life ahead of her, just like other children. I hope our story helps raise awareness about the importance of organ donation, because not all transplants can be performed from living donors. Now that we've been through it, we understand this well."