Andrea Carloni, the AC Milan fan who woke up from a coma listening to Berlusconi’s voice – Corriere.it

Once I learned of Berlusconi’s death, Andrew Carloni he fell silent: he read it on Facebook – Alfio, the father tells us – he thought it was bullshit, one of the many false alarms. Then he realized that this time it had really happened. His son is 42 today, but he was 16 when – on February 28, 1997, in Ancona – a car comes out of nowhere and, not caring about the precedence signal, overwhelms him while, on his moped, he was returning home, where his parents and sister Cristina were waiting for him for dinner. The impact with the very violent sidewalk, the helmet and the timeliness of the rescuers save his life: a story we can tell. When you’re this lucky, it’s okay, Alfio whispers on the phone, that for five months he will observe his son motionless on the hospital bed, with his eyes closed and immersed in a deep sleep: He had suffered a severe head injury. Despite his therapies, she showed no signs of awakening.

Berlusconi’s voice

Then the turning point. A colleague of Alfio’s – who works as a security guard – knows of the strong support for Milan from the Carloni family. Andrea is an avid AC Milan fan, like his mother, who has always been in love with Rivera. Ptherefore puts pen and paper and writes a letter to Berlusconi, explaining the situation and asking him to record the players’ voices: He was convinced that, despite the coma, Andrea was able to perceive sound, continues Alfio, who will soon find himself holding a nice surprise: Berlusconi had personally recorded a 15-minute speech urging my son to wake up and go back to his old life. “Andrea, your president who speaks to you – it began like this – Andrea, wake up. Milan and I are waiting for you. I know you can do it and we will all hug you.” I played it to him at all hours. A few days later she reopened her eyes. That tape, every now and then, I hear it again today.

The story immediately arouses great clamor, the TVs ride it, Andrea is invited by Bruno Vespa in the living room of Door to door. I thought that once you heard me, you would never want to wake up again! Berlusconi jokes. Who then keeps his word and invites him to Milan. First a tour of the headquarters in via Turatithen at Milanello from his idol Kak: He loved him, for his birthday the club gave him the Brazilian shirt complete with an autograph, recalls Alfio.

To Berlusconi I would only say a big thank you

Andrea touches the Champions League won the year before in Athens (even if our favorite remains that of Manchester against Juventus). Then lunch with the team and San Siro: I still remember the match, the last day of the championship. Milan-Udinese 4-1, goals from Pato, Inzaghi, Caf and Seedorf. Entering their home in Ancona there is a series of little red and black altarpieces: In 1999, two years after the accident, Berlusconi hadn’t forgotten us and had sent us a watch for the company’s centenary. Tassotti also brought us the last shirt worn by Baresi before retiring. Today Andrea struggles to walk and has paralysis in his right arm, but he attends a craft workshop where he follows courses in theatre, painting and sculpture. For the past 20 years there has been a non-profit organization, the Cranial Trauma Association of the Marches, which bears his name and which is close to patients in their post-hospital journey: What would I say to Berlusconi today if I could greet him one last time? Many words would not be needed – concludes Alfio – a big thank you would be enough.