Pecco Bagnaia and Domizia Castagnini's most beautiful wedding gift wasn't sonething they received but something they did. In fact, through the gifts they received for their wedding, the married couple contributed to the creation of new rehabilitation areas at the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Turin. The structure is dedicated to the rehabilitation and functional recovery of patients and integrates with what is already offered in the rehabilitation gym at UGICARE. Pecco Bagnaia and his wife, Domizia Castagnini, were present at the inauguration, as were riders Franco Morbidelli, Carlo Casabianca, and Andrea Migno, and also Alberto Cirio, Federico Riboldi, Michela Favaro, Franca Fagioli, Enrico Pira, and Emanuele Ciotti.
The new Regina Margherita gymnasium is 250 square meters and consists of three rooms used as gyms, two clinics, and a waiting room. For this new UGI - Unione Genitori Italiani contro il tumore dei bambini ODV (Itaian Parents Against Tumors Union) - gym, Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia and his, wife Domizia Castagnini, donated €200,000 through the valuable contribution of their wedding gifts. His Excellency, the Prefect of Turin, Dr. Donato Giovanni Cafagna, as well as the Mattia Mantovan ONLUS Association and the Orizzonti Futuri ONLUS Association, in collaboration with the Ippodromo di Vinovo, collaborated in raising the sum. Some equipment donated by Jolly Sport was also installed.
"We're proud of this inauguration, because a day as unforgettable for us as our wedding day allowed us to achieve a great result. This new rehabilitation space for the patients of the Regina Margherita Hospital and UGI," Pecco and Domizia stated.
"We thank UGI, Pecco, and Domizia Bagnaia and all those who donated towards creating this space, which will allow our Regina Margherita Hospital to further improve along its therapeutic course. For children and adolescents with cancer undergoing treatment, it's very important to perform surgeries in a place that's dedicated to them, that respects their privacy and, above all, is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. The physical-motor rehabilitation performed here, guided by properly trained staff, is in line with the mission of pediatric oncology, which goes beyond simple healing, understood as eradication of the disease, and enhances the path towards development and the wholeness of the person," Professor Franca Fagioli, Director of the Department of Pathology and Child Care at Regina Margherita, said.
Professor Enrico Pira (UGI President) emphasized how "greatly satisfied the association is for having created, through this intervention, the collaboration sanctioned by the memorandum of understanding, signed with the city of Turin and the Regina Margherita Hospital." He also added: "UGI, as a parents association, has direct knowledge of the needs of children and young people. The need for rehabilitation emerges in all its importance at the end of treatment, during the difficult return to daily life, with the heavy burden of the consequences of illnesses and treatments. In realizing that an early intervention, right from the beginning of treatment, is able to give the best results, UGI supports rehabilitation activities both at its own locations and in the hospital. The Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery space that was inaugurated today is, for UGI, the crowning achievement of a dream shared with Professor Franca Fagioli's Pediatric Oncohematology department."