Mariangela and the Circle of
Life
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| Mariangela |
A story of dignity and love that reflects the words of Pope
Francis: "Let us not build a civilization that discards persons whose
lives we no longer consider to be worthy of living: every life is valuable,
always."
By Andrea De Angelis
The story of Mariangela Crea poses a question: who are we to
starve someone to death? Hers is a story about life and defending the human
person, under any circumstances. For over 20 years, her parents and doctors
have been putting into practice the invitation of Pope Francis not to build a
culture that eliminates people whose lives we think are no longer worth living:
“Every life has value. Always".
The little girl
You can draw a circle in many different ways, but it will
always have a center. The circle can contain a radius and diameter of different
dimensions, but it is always an infinite set of points equidistant from the
center. Life follows different paths, respecting factors that are never the
same, but it too always has a center: the human person.
Like many small children, Mariangela loved Simba, star of
“The Lion King”, and the movie’s theme song, "The Circle of
Life". She watched the film again and again, while playing with the soft
toy version of her cartoon hero. Everyone in the village knew Mariangela with
her blond hair, green eyes, and sweet smile. Her strong and determined
personality made her impossible to miss. Even at three years of age, she how to
make herself understood.
The illness
Mariangela's illness was first detected in January 1998. She
was admitted to hospital in Reggio Calabria two months later with suspected
tubercular meningitis. The next five months saw her in and out of hospital
constantly, from Calabria to Trieste. Eventually, she was diagnosed with
Bartonellosos, a chronic Lyme disease coinfection, and her condition
deteriorated rapidly. Brain lesions appeared and in June, she went in and out
of coma. Her parents took her to a specialist in Brussels, who excluded the
Bartonella diagnosis and confirmed she had meningitis. When Mariangela was five
year old, she underwent a series of surgical procedures. Another coma in
October 1988 left her in the vegetative state she is still in today.
A different life
Her life, and the lives of those around her, changed
completely. Mariangela's mother is Mariagrazia Cannizzaro. She is doctor like
her husband, but she gave up her profession to care for her family, especially
her youngest daughter. Along with her husband, she felt ready to sacrifice the
vocation to which she had dedicated herself for over ten years. Mariangela’s
three siblings too felt the effects of the daily challenges underway in their
household. Her extended family, especially her grandparents, have also been
very closely involved. "Great, immense, infinite" are the words her grandmother
uses to express the love she feels for the granddaughter who is named after
her. She shows that love by sitting beside Mariangela, day in and day out,
quietly holding her hand and praying in silence. Mariangela recently turned
twenty-five.
Mariangela with her
mother
A father’s love
Being a parent means bringing new life into the world,
taking care of it, then letting it go. That letting go takes courage,
responsibility, and maturity. All of the above are even more necessary when the
parent is caring for a sick child who is as vulnerable now as she was when she
was born. Vulnerable but dignified. Mariangela's father defends his daughter’s
dignity at all costs. “She may be in her own world”, he says, “but she has
never stopped being a person”. He describes how Mariangela depends on him to
survive: "If I don't feed her, she dies”, he says. Allowing those in her
situation to die of hunger and thirst is an offence against humanity, he adds.
It means stripping people like his daughter of their dignity as a human person.
Mariangela as a child
Pretending life is normal
Palmi is the name of the town in Reggio Calabria where
Mariangela and her family live. In the center of town is a park called Villa
Mazzini. There are spectacular views from here across the sea to Sicily and the
Aeolian Islands. Mariangela’s parents bring her to the park, especially in
summer, in the late morning when the sun is warm, but the air is still cool.
Walking with their daughter through Villa Mazzini, the blue of the sea on one
side, and the green of the park on the other, allows them to pretend, just for
a moment, that “life is normal”.
Video transcript
From 12''' to 39'': Dr. Giuseppe Crea, father of
Mariangela
"Mariangela was a very healthy child. In 1998 she
caught meningitis which later became encephalitis. She has been in her own
world since September 1998, but she has never stopped being a person”.
From 48'' to 1'16'': Mariangela Creazzo, grandmother of
Mariangela
"Mariangela is named after me, because that's what her
parents wanted. They cared so much. She doesn't talk, but her life is worth
living. Being close to my niece is a joy. It's something you can't describe.
Because the love I feel for my grandchild is great, immense, infinite".
From 1'21''' to 2'31'': Dr. Giuseppe Crea, father of
Mariangela
"We don't know if she can hear us, or if she listens to
us. She has to be fed with a nasogastric tube, but that does not she is less a
person, just because she cannot eat and drink by herself. If I don't feed her,
she dies. Allowing those in her situation to die of hunger and thirst is an
offense against humanity. This is what makes people like my daughter lose her
dignity as a person. If I don’t feed a dog, animal rights activists criticize
me because I’ve killed an animal. Killing a human being by letting them die of
hunger and thirst is something much more serious. But it has happened, and more
than once”.
From 2'40'' to 3'01'': Dr. Giuseppe Crea, father of
Mariangela
"Fortunately there's this villa which is like paradise,
it's beautiful. It’s cool in the shade, and it's near our house, so we come
here to get some sun and fresh air. It's good for you, isn’t it Mariangela? And
so we pretend that life is normal".
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