It means "It's me, Micol". I'll forgive You for the ignorance.
Mmmm ! I was not dreadfully attractive at birth. Men did not turn their heads when I was passing by. But when I was born ? If I recall rightly it must have been May 1998. Yes, it looks like to me, but I better ask mammy. So, I think I'm 6, or may be more. Not bad, don't you think so. My expectations were really positive, then. I would say when my original egg was "visited" in 1997 (joking). In those moments, I used to repeat to myself "the background is optimal, therefore I will be a sex bomb". I mean, when I will be a grown up. All men will be my slaves, totally nuts about me, crawling at my feet. Yes ! They will !
I'll introduce my "expectations" (they were very naif, those days) to
you. It was 1997:
Just after my birth, I really liked the plastic part of the pacifiers. But I had a certain inclination for the pacifier itself too. But unfortunately there were two friends (actually they were not friends really) who began their job, their rotten job. What the heck ! But why they haven't decided to go for a bit of fun somewhere else, to a pub for example.
Ahaa ! I did not know anything about genes, DNA, chromosomes, MPS, bone marrow transplants, and hospitals.
My DNA was clearly bombed (perhaps to bring democracy to the genes), thus some of the genes were destroyed. If I had known what kind of life I was expecting. Bloody h....... ! A good three or even four years in hospitals and and so much struggle. Be patient but now I'll tell you all those years. And how daddy and mammy learnt by the hard way all those lessons. And how they fought to drive me to the beauty side of Life.
Let's begin from the scratch .................. (I"l be short, I promise).
After a while, few months from my birth, daddy and mammy brought me to
the Milan General Hospital Niguarda for a medical check up. But that
visit became a nightmare. It was not one of the usual pediatric
controls, but THE SPECIFIC CHECK UP ! Ohoo no ! Gosh !
So in this way, a dreadful time began for me. And I was not at all the
beautiful girl I thought I was. You can see me just on the right side
of this page, in the arms of my dad, I was nearly two. 
I went through the first bone marrow transplant, at the Haemathology Dept. of the Monza General Hospital, which is near Milan, with dr.Rovelli. l It was November 1999, and I was 17 months old. I spent 4 weeks after the operation, in the same Dept. I forgot to tell you: my MPS case was classified as:
Type I mucopolysaccaridosis.
Beside, I had an entire room for me alone, and I had 24 hours the tv on (try to immagine my parents. How happy they were). And then I started to take Melatonine, but I was always so asleep ! And all the nurses playing with me all the time. But I must admit that the hospital meals were not too bad. But, in a way I was lucky because I was not hungry most of the times. I had so many catheters attached to my body.Then, there was something which severely bothered me: it was the doctor who used to pinch me so many times with her needles, Weird ! Really discasting ! But apart from her, I became friend to everyone there. Believe me, after 4 weeks in a hospital, everyone becomes a hot friend.
After the first transplant, I felt better. Not 100% fit, but better than before the operation. mammy and daddy were feeling better too. We could go also outside for a walk. Ahaa ! The world out there is fantastic. So full of coloured objects.
On the left you can see my mam and myself. I am certainly far more natural. Make no comparison, please: she is a fake, red lip stick, creams here and there, fashionable clothes, hair done and dark spectacles. Come on ! Are we joking, she's thinking to be an actress. I couldn't believe it.
No ! This' not the way I like. I am for natural things: organic and I am non-OGM certified.
But 6 months after the transplant I began not feeling very well again. The time was rolling over and I was feeling worse and worse. So, one year later, I had the second bone marrow transplasnt. Always in Monza. Always with dr.Rovelli. It was December 2000. It was the end of the old millenium and the beginning of the new one. It was the year of my rebirth. Ahaaaaa ! Life was smiling at me and was inviting me to play and enjoy. Finally.
I began noticing very exciting places, like MacDonalds, with Hamburgers, Chips, and Pizzas and Cokes. I am joking, otherwise life is so serious and boring. There is always an old someone, complaining and muttering, around. And he wants always to teach me how to eat meat with a fork and a knife. He tries also to teach me silly and childish songs. Yes there are so many things to learn. I knew how to shout "..... don't brake my marbles"
Also mammy and daddy have learnt many things from me. They have also
learnt how to find solutions even when everyone else is saying that
there are no solutions.
In the world
of hope, the sky is always blue. I cannot recall who said that. It doesn't matter !
At the age of 3..
Mammy used to bring me often to the Monza Hospital, by dr.Rovelli.
Slowly the visits
became rarer. In these days, today I mean, 
Hey, quiet and steady !
Don't you think is bit too close
for
a mother ? What a
shame !
I'm six, I go to the Monza Hospital for a medical chek up every six months. I forgot to say that I met dr. Wraith, who is very nice, but, I must say, he is not very slim. He wears blue jeans and has long hair. I really don't understand of word from him. But I really like him, too.
I take sometimes a plane to go to Bristol, to my uncle. The plane was orange. I was scared and I cried. And I bite my mammy. In Bristol everyone talks in a strange mode and I cannot understand a word. But there are a lots of toys and MacDonalds, a paradise. My uncle has a huge tv set and a small chair for me, with an enormous number of cartoon tapes. I really like it.
First
day in the kindergarden. 
Later, may be 4 years old.
Left,
it's me
again. I am 6. Jumping everywhere, dancing, going to the movies and the
playfields and eating everything particularly hamburgers and chips, and
I usually study a lot, particularly tv cartoons. I am a big expert in
the field. You can say that this is a life of penitence and sacrifices.
Yes, I agree. But that's the way it is, unfortunately.
I admit it.
Now, I have finished with my story. Happy ?
I forgot. If you want to know more about the details, read further.
I'd like to thank: the director, dr.Rovelli, the cameraman, Carlo, and the
"producers" mammy and daddy.
1. papi and mami's
email : [email protected]
2. papi and mami's telephone
number: 0039 02 61 32 255
3.
(ONLUS)
Associazione
Italiana di Mucopolisaccaridosi e Malattie Affini
4. Dr. Rovelli
telephone number: 0039 39
2331
5.
Monza
General Hospital 0039 39 2331
Now the boring part: my MEDICAL HISTORY
I was born in
Monza, near Milan (Italy), 23/5/1998. At the age of 9 months I was
diagnosed MPS (Mucopolysaccaridosis)
type I-Hurler at the Monza General Hospital "S.Gerardo". I
had two bone marrow transplants:
the 1st one 9/12/2000, which failed some months later, and then in
October 2001 the 2nd one, which proved successful.
I weigh kg.21.05
and I am cm. 102 tall
(hey! I'm not fat !! I've got very strong bones). I am in good
conditions,
and I like to eat chips and hamburgers all the times. I hate fruits and
veg. No, I am NOT at all a vegan (these people don't
understand the pleasures of life).
Blood and Urine tests: withins norms
Medical exam: rynolalia,
tongue protrudes most of the times, umbelical hernia, significant
spinal deformity, valgysmus at both inferior limbs
Specific blood tests:
enzymatic and MPS values under test
Thyroid echography within
normal limits but presence of several 1 cm wide linfonodules beside the
neck
RX exams Lumbo-sacralis
cyfosis with right convex scoliosis
Audiometry strong
bilateral ipoacusias
Next phases: Surgery at the
knee and hips, major surgery at the spinal cord (in 3-4 years), ECG,
orthopedic, blood
and urine tests every 6 month