Mattia

Hello everyone, my name is Mattia, I’m 33 years old. In September 2022, I was diagnosed with stage 3 embryonal carcinoma. I had to immediately undergo four cycles of chemotherapy, each lasting five days. At the end of those four cycles, everything seemed to be going well. Unfortunately, shortly after, I had a relapse, and it was decided to go through another four cycles of chemotherapy, also five days each, but much more intense this time.

Once I finished those four cycles, I had a follow-up CT scan, and thankfully, it came back clear. It’s now been a year and a half that I’ve been in follow-up care, and I’m doing well. I’ve gone back to work, started playing sports again— I play soccer—and I’ve started living life even more fully than before, perhaps even better than before.

To anyone facing this illness, I want to say: try to always stay positive, even though I know it’s not easy. Face it with great strength and determination, and always listen to your doctors because they know what they’re doing.

I’d like to take this opportunity to deeply thank the oncology department in Parma—Dr. Gasparro, Dr. Leonetti, Dr. Trapani—and all the nurses, who are truly angels.

Thank you, and goodbye, everyone!