MILAN - What will the fans think on Saturday 21 September and Sunday 22 September when they see the long banners at the stadiums of the Serie A, along with the referees’ shirts, bearing the question that reads: "Ehi, tu! Hai midollo?" ["Hey! Do you have bone marrow?"] The slogan may sound odd, but it’s purely promotional in nature with the purpose of urging young people from the ages of 18 to 35 to become bone marrow donors.
On 28 September the Lega Serie A will take part in the national event, "Ehi, tu! Hai midollo?", which year after year is proving to be the best way to bring in new potential donors to the Italian Registry (IBMDR). And the advertisement is sure to have an effect on the fans as it’s broadcast on the giant screens inside the stadiums. It’s a message of awareness and has once again been entrusted to Domenico De Pasquale, aka Mingo, the special correspondent of the TV news programme "Striscia la notizia".
The big news of this third edition of "Ehi, tu! Hai midollo?" is that this year it’s happening on an international level. Paola De Angelis, president of the ADMO Italian Federation, explained why: "We received confirmation from both the French and Spanish Registries that in their respective countries they’ll designate the day of 28 September to bone marrow donation. So it will coincide with the same one in Italy."
In this country the goal is to sign up more than 4,000 new donors, since it would be a big step towards reaching the target of 500,000 members. That’s the number the Italian Registry (which currently has 340,000 potential active donors, for a total of 420,000 members since 1989, the year in which activities began) would like to reach within the next few years. The year 2012 was also a big success thanks to the commitment and organisation of ADMO volunteers and clowns in the streets for the Federation VIP Viviamo in Positivo, when they brought smiles to children in piazzas all over Italy. And, as stated by Nicoletta Sacchi, director of IBMDR - Italian National Registry of Bone Marrow Donors (headquartered at the Ospedali Galliera of Genoa): "On that day in 2012 it proved to be a truly historic achievement that enabled us to recruit new potential donors and offer even more hope to people awaiting transplants. Because we need to keep in mind that in Italy alone leukaemia affects 1,500 new patients every year."
Alessandro Nanni Costa, director of the National Transplant Centre, stated: "This year we hope to match the same kind of successful numbers we posted in previous years. Our country encourages and supports the donation of hematopoietic stem cells not only as a form of solidarity, but also because today the use of these cells is an established therapeutic treatment capable of curing many diseases. That’s why simply inviting people to donate is never enough, and the date of 28 September is a step in the right direction."
This year the event, which before becoming a national day of awareness actually started as an ADMO Liguria initiative in collaboration with the Clowns of Via Pagiassi in Genoa, is preparing to further expand the international network of the donors. This was stressed by Riccardo Castellaro, aka Furbetto the clown, who recalled: "The initiative began in 2010 when Stefano and I were preparing for the second transplant - not so much for my brother, but for the people we met on our journey who were struggling for their lives like we were! We had the good fortune to be able to play the game to the end and try to win, since we had a compatible donor in the family. But lots of people, too many, lose this battle at the beginning without ever having the chance to compete."
Press Contacts
ADMO Federazione Italiana ONLUS – Milan, Loredana Ranni, national coordinator of communications. Phone: +39 02 39000855, cell: +39 335 8270909
IBMDR Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry – Genoa, Elisa Nerva, Head of Press Office Hospital Authority Ospedali Galliera. Phone: +39 010 5632022, cell: +39 340 3690303
Federazione VIP Italia ONLUS – Cuneo, Cristiana Brenelli (Briscola the clown), communications liaison for "Ehi, tu! Hai midollo?" Cell: +39 346 167947
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