Antonella Clerici: “That cyst was a tumor. I have to thank Blessed Carlo Acutis”

In the past few months Antonella Clerici has had ovarian cancer. She herself revealed it in an interview in the weekly magazine Today shedding more light on the emergency surgery she underwent in mid-June.

In those days the host of the TV program It’s always noon She had made it known on social media that her ovaries had been removed, speaking generically of a cyst. Now, however, two months later, she explains that in reality the cyst was cancer.

“At first,” she says, “I didn’t understand the situation and I thought I would have surgery after the summer holidays. Instead, the doctors explained to me that the cyst was a tumor, it had to be removed and analyzed within twenty days at the most.”

“I was in Rome, the city that gave me everything: success, my daughter, wealth, friends… I instinctively decided that I would have the surgery there,” Clerici recalls. “Through a friend who was in the hospital I was told to contact Professor Vizza and he called me the next day to tell me that one of the scheduled surgeries on Monday had been cancelled. I was lucky in this too.”

“I had only one thought in my head: ‘Thank goodness I found out. Now I’ll get treatment and everything will be fine.’ In difficult situations, an inner strength springs forth within me that fills me with optimism,” says the presenter, who will turn 61 in December. “I’ve never been afraid. I’m an optimist, it’s my nature, I don’t even have to force myself.”

The one who had a very hard time during that period was her sister Cristina: “For her – explains Clerici – it was a shock. Our mother Franca died in three months from melanoma when she was only 55 years old… It wasn’t easy for Vittorio (Garrone, her partner since 2016, ed.) either. He was abroad and came back right away. He was fantastic, cheerful and positive without being banal. Vittorio suffered with me, but without letting me see it, he only confided in me afterwards about his fear. I knew I had a special man at my side, this test was another confirmation”.

The presenter then confides that she prayed a lot during the days of the surgery: “At the end of the month,” she says, “I will go to Assisi for two days to bring my prayers to Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old boy beatified in 2020 (this year Pope Francis decided to make him a saint, ed.). A few days before I learned I had a health problem, Carlo appeared to me every time I opened my phone to surf, continuously. Before the surgery I prayed to him because I am religious, even if I don’t go to church. Well, after everything went well, Carlo disappeared and if I want to see his profile again, I have to do some research.”

“I am not shouting miracle,” Clerici concludes, “but I am sure that there are people of faith, or of heart, or with special powers, I don’t know how to define them, who in moments of crisis know how to be by your side. For this I want to thank him in person.”