Holy Father Pope Francis received Giorgio, Rosita and Davide Barolini, along with other members of the “Una Vita Rara” association. His Holiness Pope Francis expressed his admiration for Giorgio and Rosita, founders of “Una Vita Rara”, and other families in similar situations by exhorting that “Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of having a son with a chronic disease, you felt a desire within you to do something for him and for others affected by a rare disease.”
As reported by Vatican News, Holy Father commenting on the name of the association, remarked that “It says a lot. It says that you know how to look at the positive. That positive outlook “is a typical ‘miracle’ of love. Love does that. It knows how to find the good even in a negative situation. Love is always open to others and open to creating solidarity.”
Giorgio and Rosita founded “Una Vita Vera” in 2016 after receiving a diagnosis regarding their son Davide in 2015. They waited almost twelve years for that diagnosis. Their son was suffering from a rare thyroid malfunction caused by a gene mutation called Allan Herndon Dudley Syndrome (ADHS). Without proper diffusion of the thyroid, nerve cells are unable to develop properly. Underdevelopment of the muscles and the brain causes those living with AHDS to experience physical and intellectual disabilities.
