Matteo Materazzi and ALS: his wife's story of pain and hope | OneFootball

The story of Matteo Materazzi, a sports agent and brother of world champion Marco, is one of a daily struggle against a cruel and unstoppable disease: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). His wife, Maura Soldati, tells the story, having been by his side for over a year, day and night, facing with courage a challenge that tests not only the patient but also those who care for him.

Matteo Materazzi and the battle against ALS: the story of his wife, between pain, hope, and the race against time

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"The disease is progressing fast, but I only think about keeping him alive"

Maura's testimony is direct and touching:

"The disease is galloping, it's very fast. Matteo suffers a lot, but I don't want to focus only on this: I think above all about keeping him alive."

The woman, who assists him without stopping, tells of sleepless nights, continuous pain, practical difficulties, and a huge emotional burden:

"With ALS, even the caregiver is almost a second patient. Matteo never sleeps, he wakes up constantly, I have to turn him often. He's not light physically, and I do everything alone. Now we are in Sardinia, because he wanted to return to the family home, but managing him here is even more complicated than in Rome."

The hope for new treatments and the race against time

Despite the disease advancing rapidly, the Materazzi family does not give up. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to finance innovative treatment paths, between the United States and Italy. Maura explains:

"We don't want to take advantage of the situation. The fundraising was born from a request to a restricted circle of friends and acquaintances, then it went viral. The treatment, if approved, would be free: we would only have to pay for travel and stay. But time is short, we don't know if we'll be able to intervene in time."

The role of the family and the reconciliation with Marco Materazzi

In this drama, the strength of family ties also emerges. The relationship between Matteo and his brother Marco, not always easy in the past, has strengthened:

"Since Matteo got sick, they talk every day. The family is present, and this gives us strength."

A testimony that goes beyond the disease

The story of Matteo and Maura is not only a story of suffering, but also of resilience, love, and civic commitment. Their appeal calls attention to the need to support research, create support networks for caregivers, and face ALS not as a sentence, but as a challenge that involves the whole society.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.