On a Journey for Life

In February 1998, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, or CML.
Treatment options were limited, and a bone marrow transplant seemed almost impossible.
I met Eliana, a great psychologist,  over dinner while discussing how to raise 700 million lire (oldest italian coin) for a bone marrow transplant at Fred Hutchinson Hospital in Seattle. With no fully compatible family donor, my only hope was a mismatched donor transplant, which the United States was willing to consider.
Eliana gave me her card, and soon I was sitting in her studio. That meeting began a profound journey.
She taught me that hardship can build willpower and that pain can open the mind to growth. Until then, I had lived by expectations and ambitions that often kept me far from my authentic self.
Mens sana in corpore sano became my mantra. Eliana helped me understand the connection between body and mind and guided me from fear toward freedom and truth.
Through meditation, NLP, and a healthier mindset, I began to reinterpret painful experiences, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with myself.
I learned to value small things, act with love, and accept suffering without letting it define me. “Yes to life” became my answer.
Eliana’s teachings helped me face another bone marrow transplant in 2013 and clinical trials with new TKIs for CML. Today, in 2026, I am still here, living meaningfully and supporting others through the Italian CML Patients Association, which I founded with other patients in 2009.

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