Today is September 10, 2022, National Organ and Tissue Donation Day. And to honor this day we have decided to share the story of my friend Alexandre Zanneta@2_coeurs_1_vie.

His story and words are such an inspiration, and for me it has always been an example of humility and awe.

He explains a heart transplant in his own words:

“I have never voluntarily divulged the exact date of this majestic event in May, aware that this “birthday” is also a – much less joyful – for the family and loved ones of this illustrious stranger.

This gesture, as generous as it is deeply disinterested, allows a plethora of people with transplants to (re)live a qualitative life with concerns other than just illness. Even if we are never afraid of being erased, even if the before-transplant counts just as much as the post-transplant, living with someone else’s organ is not an easy task. In addition to the twenty pills to be ingested morning and evening, the incalculable and indescribable hours spent in the hospital environment are particularly heavy: the impression of an endless, of an eternal recommencement, of a moral and perpetual evil that no word will never heal.

This heart transplant has radically changed my life. From an old teenager weakened by illness, I have become a hard-skinned colossus. Today, I live to become, with wisdom and humility, because I have learned from the mistakes of the past. Each sunrise is a gift, each dusk is the one that preceded it, each moment is an experience that enriches my life with new strength.

I will never forget that famous moment when the transplant coordinator called me and offered to “live the great adventure” with her.
I will never forget all the suffering endured to fight against the multiple rejections and viruses that life regularly puts in my way.
I will never forget those who have always supported me, from near and far.
I will never forget the one whose heart beats every second in my body.

Thanks.”

Thank you Alexandre Zanetta for your bravery and fortitude and for always sharing this with us.

So grateful to make this reportage with you