The first defibrillator in Riccione park
Interview with Filippo Cupparoni
by Francesca Conti
Would you like to tell your story? Who is Filippo?
I am a 24 year old boy from Riccione, I have led a normal life and I still lead it.
The discovery of the disease twelve years ago was certainly a turning point in my life, until that moment I was a twelve-year-old like all the others: football, soccer fields and oratory. We discovered the disease almost by chance, I suffered from headaches and a neurologist, who I still thank today, told us to try to do an echocardiogram, that test highlighted a thickening of the ventricular wall.
This alarmed my entire family and I was banned from all sports activities: from simple gym class at school to soccer. In the meantime, I began a series of tests, MRIs and genetic tests for myself and my family, to understand who had transmitted the disease to me. I also began to visit many centers until I met Professor Olivotto in Florence, who has been following me for 4-5 years now.
You are currently a city councilor in Riccione, how did this passion for politics come about?
Politics has always been a personal passion of mine, I have no family history of political commitment, we do something completely different, I myself do not live off politics, but I work with my father and brother in a frozen food distribution company. I had been thinking about running for office for a while, when the opportunity presented itself I jumped at it. There were many people who helped me, also because I was 22 years old and had no experience, I did not get many preferences but they were enough to get into the council and it was truly satisfying. Politics is not easy, just as it is not easy to enter into certain dynamics. After a year in the city council I managed to get an Order of the Day approved where the administration is asked to commit and invest in the installation of AEDs, automatic external defibrillators, which can be used by everyone in case of extreme necessity.
How did it end?
Unfortunately, immediately after, there were problems within the municipality that was placed under special administration, so for 5-6 months we were unable to operate, in the end the problems were fortunately resolved and we resumed the council work. At that point I took action so that the ODG would not be forgotten and finally this August the first defibrillator was installed in the largest and most popular public park in the city, very popular with young people, joggers or simply dog walkers. The AED was positioned right in front of a basketball court and 50 meters from the soccer field. We will soon install another defibrillator in the city center of Riccione in the historic promenade that, especially in summer, fills up with people since, in summer compared to winter, Riccione quadruples the attendance thanks to tourism.
How was this initiative received by your colleagues on the council and by the city?
In the city the temperature of the political struggle is high which often translates into very harsh clashes between two factions, instead this proposal was voted unanimously beyond political divisions and this was not at all obvious. The reaction of the city was also positive, many recognized the lack of a presence of this kind in that park. Of course it must not be an initiative One-off, a point of arrival but only the beginning of a journey.
You still have three years of council ahead of you, until 2027. What initiatives do you want to carry forward to make the most of this political experience?
I would like to work to increase prevention, which is essential, to provide training and awareness. I would like to promote first aid and resuscitation courses so that as many people as possible know how to use an AED and perform resuscitation. I would like to raise awareness in schools, collaborate more closely with AICARM. I am proud of what has been done so far, but it is certainly not enough. I would like to leave a small mark in these years that I still have ahead of me as a city councilor. I want to bring my sensitivities to the council, the things that I know best and that allow me to bring something more, a personal contribution that comes from my life experience.
In some way, did the illness also teach you something and give you a push to do more?
Illness changes you, in some ways negatively, but in many others positively because it pushes you to discover yourself and learn new things. It is true that it was hard to give up sports at twelve, I still remember the fear of running to the den when I played hide and seek with my peers. Today I know I am lucky, I have certainly gained a lot of awareness. Professor Olivotto always tells me that I have to think about my illness only to remember to take the pill, then I have to forget it. Now I live a normal life, I want to say I still feel lucky.