You are a mother forever. Even when a child dies. You still continue to be a mother, even if your heart drowns in a storm of pain. “I have two children here on earth and one in heaven,” she agrees Susanna Messaggio, one of the most loved – and reassuring – faces of TV in the 80s and 90s. Martina and Jacopo are now adults, and are building their independence. «Martina is 30 years old, she is a successful professional. And Jacopo, 20, has always been a very independent boy, he works as a waiter to support himself and lives with me”, says Susanna, with the healthy pride of someone who has made so many sacrifices for their children. “But they never weighed on me,” he confides. «My boys are my life and for their happiness and serenity I would certainly do everything again».
In Wonderland
Before Martina and Jacopo, Alice was born: «Just a few months after birth», Susanna tells us, moved, «my little girl went to wonderland, where my parents and other holy people are also». The loss of Alice profoundly marked Messaggio’s life, but instead of tearing her apart in pain, it led her to a new form of openness.. In fact, concrete fruits were born from that tragedy: first of all a non-profit organization, Fondazione Alice Messaggio. «My daughter died from a cardiorespiratory problem. With my non-profit organization, for this reason, the first thing we did was equip many hospitals with specific machinery for children in Alice’s condition, so that no parent would have to experience the suffering that I experienced.” A pain, therefore, that Susanna was able to transform into service: «Faith has always been present in my life, and in the terrible moment of Alice’s death it was the handhold to keep me from drowning». In the name of the daughter, in addition to the Foundation, two other realities were born: Casa Susanna and Fattoria Susanna, initiatives that offer educational and recreational activities for children.
A new life
Yes, because Susanna Messaggio is not just the face we have seen on the small screen for years: a communications woman and multifaceted professional, she has two degrees (in Languages and Pedagogy) and writes for various newspapers. «I have many activities», she tells us, «but first of all I am a mother. As children, Martina and Jacopo were perfect, children are always beautiful, they are a gift and a joy. Then, at a certain age, they run away, but that’s right… As they grow up they need to be alone.” Susanna talks about them with pride, but also with clear awareness: «Like all kids, mine also experienced difficult moments during their adolescence. I have always cultivated the idea of being able to talk and understand what they needed and I have always tried to be present, to talk to them, to understand their feelings.” With one certainty: «Good relationships, in the family first of all, make you feel good and extend your life».
Loving is a “luck”
What kind of mother does Susanna Messaggio feel like? “I’m a lucky mom,” she says without hesitation. A surprising definition, if you think about the terrible loss he experienced: the death of a daughter is something that cannot be overcome and is difficult to talk about. «I still feel Alice next to me», he confides. «I love my children, all three, and I feel loved by them. What more could a mother want?” Because, in the end, this is the meaning of a parent: to let love flow, to take care, to accompany and to feel gratitude for a life that has taken away a lot, but has also given so much.. «Thanks to Alice», he comments, «I made my faith stronger, which supports me every day, and I was able to take care of other children. Yes, I’m lucky…”.
