Girl Awakened From Coma By Listening To Football Legend Totti's Voice
On Monday, Roma legend Francesco Totti visited a teenage girl in a hospital who recovered from a nine-month coma after hearing the speech of the former Italian football hero's voice. Ilenia Matilli, a 19-year-old footballer with Lazio women's team but a huge fan of Roma city rivals, was left in a coma last December. She met with a car crash in which her friend was killed.
A few months ago, former World Cup winner Totti had recorded a video message urging: "Ilenia don't give up, you'll do it, we are all with you". As promised Totti visited the girl in her Rome's Gemelli hospital where she is undergoing rehabilitation.
After meeting Ilenia, Toti told journalists that, "Ilenia Matilli recovered from coma, she smiled at me, hugged me and started crying. It was very exciting to meet Ilenia, when she comes out of hospital we will meet again.”
Her father Stefano Matilli said that, “I have to thank a friend of my daughter who had the idea of contacting Francesco Totti and having him record a message. Francesco accepted immediately, you can see that he is a person with a good heart, talking to him today in the hospital was like talking to a brother.”
Ilenia Matili is still unable to speak, but makes herself understood by gestures and expresses herself through a tablet she writes on. Totti said that, "Don't give up, you'll make it. Hurry up and get well. I'll come and visit you at home when you can talk and walk."
Neurologist Professor Luca Padua appreciated Totti's "Great ability to manage a difficult situation. The former captain did not imagine such a dramatic situation but in the end, the atmosphere was very cheerful."
