by Michele Alonzo
Area Representative for World Heritage Student Exchange Program
Area Representative for World Heritage Student Exchange Program
When Cecilia arrived to Cincinnati from her Italian
hometown, Turin, on August 18 this year, the last thing she expected was to
recover from the jetlag in a hospital bed, under general anesthesia. Only hours
after landing on the American continent, Cecilia was evaluated for a sudden
abdominal pain at a medical facility in Mason, Ohio. Diagnosis: acute
appendicitis. Treatment: urgent appendectomy. Against all odds!
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| Cecilia after surgery |
Being an Italian exchange student and having never been
in the USA before, what better welcome could she have had from her host family
than holding hands while she was being wheeled to the operating room only 24
hours after her arrival. Everything went nicely and smoothly. Her American mom,
Lisa, spent the whole night with her in the hospital after surgery; she was
there when Cecilia woke up and helped with her first American meal: cold,
orange Jello!
Lisa and Mike Ruggiero encouraged and emotionally supported her before and after surgery; Cecilia could not have had better care by her new family during
those days. This episode ended up as one of those stories to tell to her
grandchildren someday. What a wonderful moment of bonding for Cecilia with the
Ruggiero family. She was never scared and felt always part of that family that
she had met only 24 hours before. She was comfortable from the first moment
with those American parents who reassured her and her natural family in Italy, just like
they had known each other for years.
Cecilia had to skip the first four days of school to recover from
surgery, but before walking into Kings High School to meet teachers and
classmates, she was already well known as the Italian girl who was in the operating
room the day after arriving in the USA.
Cecilia lost a small part of her body, but she gained a
lifetime experience and a true loving relationship. She understood that odd and
difficult situations often become a way to bond with people and realized that
love can stretch across countries, cultures and languages.
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| Cecilia and her American mom Lisa |
She is now spending her first Christmas in the United States with
her host family, enjoying the holiday spirit of their household and already missing her acquired relatives. In a few
weeks she will go back to Turin to reunite with her natural parents after about
six months. She will leave her appendix in Mason, Ohio, but she will carry in
her heart the tender care of the Ruggieros who treated her like a daughter
since the first day, supporting her in a difficult moment, thousands miles away from her hometown.
Lisa and Mike
will visit Cecilia and her family during their trip to Italy this summer. They plan
to see many places, but no Italian hospitals, for sure!
