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    Dirty Tackle

    Alessandro Del Piero credited with waking girl from a coma

    By Brooks Peck | Dirty Tackle – Mon, Feb 13, 2012 6:47 PM EST

    Alessandro Del Piero having a chuckle. (Getty)

    Over the last 19 years of his career, Alessandro Del Piero has become a revered footballing legend while sticking with Juventus through good times and bad. He's won a World Cup and committed his time and financial support to cancer research. He also dresses up like Santa Claus and walks the streets of Turin at Christmastime. And now, he's even being credited with waking a young girl from a coma.

    According to our friends at Eurosport, 12-year-old Giada Scalise suffered a brain hemorrhage while watching a Juventus match on television last month. After two weeks without a change to her condition, the Scalise family turned to Del Piero for a different kind of help. He obliged with a video message to Giada.

    Italy's ANSA news agency picks up the story from there:

    The parents of Giada, a big Juventus supporter from the small southern town of Cerenzia, believe the footballer made an important contribution to the happy outcome. "That night (after listening to the message) something special happened," said the girl's father, Francesco.

    "First she moved her hand and then after a few hours she called out 'mamma'. Then after about 24 hours she talked and asked for an ice-cream".

    The girl's parents appealed for Del Piero's help via a charity after she fell ill and slipped on January 22.

    In the message, he said: "Hello Giada, I'm Alessandro Del Piero. I hope you can wake up as soon as possible to watch lots of our and my games, to come and see us and, above all, get to know each other".

    So there you have it. Not only can Del Piero score wonder goals from all over the pitch, but his voice also has wondrous healing powers. Then again, the girl's mighty desire for ice cream may have also had something to do with it.

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    • Jack Klompus
      Jack Klompus  •  3 months ago
      Great blog, Brooks. One of the best I have seen recently. You are a quality blogger and I am a big fan of yours. Keep up the brilliant writing. Oops, sorry, I meant "blogging," not "writing." Great, great stuff.
      • Johnny Appleseed
        Johnny Appleseed 3 months ago
        That's exactly what he's paid to do, so your snarky comment makes no sense. Good job!
      • Ride
        Ride 3 months ago
        They pay him for this crap? He must be a volunteer; yahoo could hire someone better if pay was involved.
      • E Rock
        E Rock 3 months ago
        Does the backspace not work on your keyboard, Bob? You take more time typing the apology, than it would have taken to just make the correction. Your efficiency must make you irreplaceable at work.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 months ago
      Nice to see an article highlighting the many positive things professional athletes do. Too often we hear about the morons that are acting like fools, spending millions and making babies. Great story. he sounds like a genuinely good guy.
    • MG
      MG  •  Goleta, California  •  3 months ago
      Drs and scientists have long postulated that comatose patients can hear what goes on around them to some extent -- this is a cool way to shake them out of the coma - bring in their favortie hero/celebrity - should be tried more often!
    • buster
      buster  •  3 months ago
      Forza capitano Alex Del Piero. A true legend. A true gentleman. A true hero.
    • Thexian
      Thexian  •  3 months ago
      Please more of these instead of the much misused by Yahoo staffers "Somebody else Loses it about blah blah blah" it's so over the top, and shows amateurism.
    • Karl Griswold
      Karl Griswold  •  Livingston, New Jersey  •  3 months ago
      awesome
    • BrMAGNUS
      BrMAGNUS  •  Minneapolis, Minnesota  •  3 months ago
      Wonderful story!!
    • GlenW
      GlenW  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 months ago
      Wow, just wow
    • YYZ
      YYZ  •  Santa Monica, California  •  3 months ago
      Very sweet story.
    • Phil
      Phil  •  3 months ago
      Great story
    • John
      John  •  3 months ago
      Nice to hear that humanity still has a pulse.
    • N-N
      N-N  •  3 months ago
      This is a good story for a change.
    • meganena13
      meganena13  •  New York, New York  •  3 months ago
      Finally something to make me feel happy on Valentine's Day.
    • John Morgan
      John Morgan  •  Ottawa, Canada  •  3 months ago
      I heard a similar story of a 'celebrity' (Donald Duck) and 'fan' set (one of his animators) in LA years ago- the animator was in a coma; his colleague came to his bedside and spoke typical Donald Duck lines (aw phooey, oh boy oh boy oh boy etc) and he woke up. However lest anyone thinks this type of intervention will work on all patients there have been numerous attempts and nothing works on all or on even a small percent of patients and it depends in part how long you are gone.
    • Stuart M
      Stuart M  •  Winnipeg, Canada  •  3 months ago
      Its good to know that there are still people out there who have BIG HEARTS.Mr.Del Piero I wish that there were more people like you out there.
    • ABDULLA ALEMMARI
      ABDULLA ALEMMARI  •  Saskatoon, Canada  •  3 months ago
      grazie signor Del Piero!!
      from Libya
    • Jessica
      Jessica  •  3 months ago
      hahaha I'm happy for the family!
    • AndRome
      AndRome  •  Medford, Oregon  •  3 months ago
      Italy's version of Tim Tebow!
    • Juan
      Juan  •  3 months ago
      it does not get much better than this. how very nice to read a positive story and even better a positive out come for this young girl. I don't understand soccer[football] but you sir, are one of the best..............
    • JT
      JT  •  Westborough, Massachusetts  •  3 months ago
      Unlikely a cause and effect here, but clearly exceptionally thoughtful of Del Piero to make the effort to help! God Bless Him.
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