AICCA AWARD IN MEMORY OF CHRISTIAN BARNARD: COSTARIPA AND ELEVA SUPPORT RESEARCH ON ADULT CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

Nearly sixty years ago, in 1967, the first heart transplant performed by Professor Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town gave concrete hope to millions of heart patients worldwide. This legacy is reflected in the AICCA Award, sponsored by the Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of Congenital Heart Disease at the San Donato Hospital, directed by Professor Alessandro Giamberti, together with the Italian Association of Children and Adults with Congenital Heart Disease (AICCA), the largest patient-led organization in Italy. The award, aimed at physicians under 35, recognizes those who, over the past year, have made a tangible contribution to research on adult congenital heart disease, a population of over 120,000 patients in Italy alone, for whom access to transplantation remains an ever-present challenge.

The winner of the second edition is Dr. MAHMOOD HAFDHULLAH for his research entitled “Evolution of surgical treatment and outcomes in the care of adult patients with congenital heart disease: a constantly changing patient population”.

This study analyzes how adult congenital heart surgery has evolved over the 40 years since 1988. It observes how the therapeutic needs of adult congenital heart patients have changed profoundly over time, and looks to the future to prepare new generations of professionals for the new needs of adult congenital heart patients.

The Award was also born from the deep friendship that binds Mattia Vezzola, Davide Gaeta, Raffaella Veroli and Alessandro Giamberti, respectively the souls of the Costaripa wineries on Lake Garda and Eleva in Valpolicella, who have chosen to support AICCA on this journey by supporting the awards ceremony.

"When you see firsthand the commitment and dedication of those who care for such fragile patients every day, it's natural to wonder what concrete things we can do to help," says Mattia Vezzola , owner of Costaripa. "Professor Barbard's quote, 'two glasses of red wine a day reduce the risk of heart attack by 50%,' resonates deeply with us and encourages us to commit ourselves to research into the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

"We joined this project with the same care we take in our work in the vineyard, day after day," adds Raffaella Veroli , Eleva's winemaker. "For us, being alongside AICCA means giving back to a theme that affects people's lives, far beyond the world of wine," says Professor Davide Gaeta.

The award consists of a €1,000 check for participation in a medical conference of the participant's choice within twelve months, accompanied by a bottle of Christiaan Barnard Foundation Magnum 2000 Vendemmia , produced in collaboration with Christiaan Barnard, a symbolic gift from Costaripa. The winner was selected by a jury composed of Professor Alessandro Giamberti, Professor Massimo Chessa (cardiologist), Dr. Marco Ranucci (anesthesiologist-resuscitator), and Giovanna Campioni, Director General of AICCA. Giamberti, along with Campioni, Vezzola, Veroli, and Gaeta, will present the prize at an evening that ideally combines medical research with the themes of friendship and hope in cardiovascular care.