In loving memory of Andrea Gressani

It is with incredible sadness that we announce the passing of Andrea Gressani, IPOPI Board Member, PID advocate and beloved friend. Andrea was elected as a Board Member of IPOPI in September 2016, and from the very start, he has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of patients across the world. By sharing his own journey of living with Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), he has been a true source of inspiration, and his testimony will stay with all of us who had the privilege of listening to it.

Andrea was born in 1979 and contracted his first infection in 1980. At the age of eight months, his family met a doctor who recently had come across a patient with CGD and recognised the symptoms. Andrea’s family had been told that he needed a leg amputation to stop the spread of the infection, but thanks to this doctor he was able to keep his leg and begin treatment. At the time, he was given 10 years to live but stayed with us for 44 years. We are so grateful to have had him on our Board of Directors for six of these.

During his life, Andrea has done immense work as Vice-Chair of the Italian patient organisation Associazione Immunodeficienze Primitive and as a Board Member of IPOPI. He was an experienced advocate in the community, a good listener and always ready to give a kind piece of advice.

Like Andrea said during his testimony at our IPIC congress in 2017: “Life is beautiful, so you have to live your life always.” Despite his illness, Andrea lived his life and filled it with a passion for dancing, food, and friendships. He will be missed by his many friends and colleagues from the community worldwide.

IPOPI and its national members will forever be thankful for his wholehearted dedication and will continue the work to improve the lives of patients like him.

We send his family, friends and his colleagues from AIP our deepest condolences.