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About

MAI SOLI comes from the experience of the person who stayed beside her.
Not from an idea on paper.

Our story

In May 2025 Linda Rossi-Ferrari received a new heart at the Inselspital in Bern. Day after day her partner Alessandro Consonni was beside her: more than a month away from home, in a hotel, in a city that spoke another language, between waiting rooms and uncertain nights.

Linda was looked after by a whole team. Alessandro was not. Nobody takes care of the person who waits: there is no service, no contact person, nobody asks how you are.
That is where the idea for MAI SOLI was born, out of that loneliness — out of a need Alessandro recognised because he was living it.

His presence beside Linda was not a detail: it was part of her recovery. But more than a month away from home is a privilege not every family can afford. Those who cannot afford it do not receive worse care — but they do face a lonelier journey.

This is exactly where MAI SOLI begins: turning that privilege into a possibility for everyone, and recognising that beside every patient there is someone carrying the weight without anyone asking them to. Not to replace what already works, but to complete it with what is missing today — presence, orientation, practical support.

Alessandro Consonni is the originator of MAI SOLI and looks after the local network and partnerships. Linda Rossi-Ferrari develops the project together with him and leads its communication and institutional relations. Luca Gilardini is vice-president designate of the association and looks after contacts with the Zurich transplant centre. A personal experience has become a structured project, developed in dialogue with the Swiss institutions of the transplant field.

The name

The name of a project is its first promise.

The mission in the name
The focus is closeness: making sure patients never face this journey alone. «Mai Soli» is both a name and a promise.
Respect for the region
Ticino already has recognised and respected organisations in the field of cardiology. A name containing the word «heart» would overlap and cause confusion, to everyone's detriment.
A wider view
The project includes lung transplants from the outset and is designed to extend to other organs in the future.
Ready for Switzerland
The name translates naturally into all the national languages — Nie allein, Jamais seuls, Never alone — and is therefore already ready to extend to other language regions.

Our mission

To ensure that no family from Ticino faces the transplant journey alone.

Six concrete objectives follow from this mission:

  • to reach families proactively, without waiting for them to ask for help;
  • to make it easier for relatives to stay near the transplant centres;
  • to reduce the financial strain of the journeys;
  • to enable effective communication in one's own language;
  • to build a stable network of partners across Switzerland;
  • to foster a culture of solidarity and closeness.

Where we stand

  1. The project is defined

    The project document has been drawn up and shared with the institutional partners in the field.

  2. Institutional support is under way

    The Ticino and national institutions involved in the transplant journey have expressed their support for the initiative. Formal patronages will follow the formation of the association.

  3. The association is being formed

    The association is being established under Art. 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code. The statutes, the founding assembly and the appointment of the governing bodies are in preparation.

  4. The pilot phase starts in 2027

    First agreements with places to stay, with restaurants and with transport providers; launch of the service for families and evaluation of the results.

Governance

The association will be led by a committee, supported by an advisory and scientific board of professionals in the field with no management powers.

The composition of the bodies will be published once the association is formed.

Partners and patronages

MAI SOLI is not starting alone. This is the real state of our institutional relationships, updated in October 2026.

Swisstransplant

Support for the association's formation

Swisstransplant is the Swiss national foundation for the donation and transplantation of organs and tissues. In October 2026 the foundation assured MAI SOLI of its support for the formation of the association.

EOC — Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale

Letter of support from the General Management

In October 2026 the General Management of the EOC expressed its support for the initiative in writing. Institutional patronage and use of the logo will be decided by the Board of Directors after reviewing the association's final statutes.

Cardiocentro Ticino

Clinical reference in Ticino

The reference centre for cardiology patients from Ticino before and after transplantation. Patronage is being formalised.

Fondazione Ticino Cuore

Outreach in Ticino

Support in making the project known across Ticino. The project will be presented to the Foundation Board in 2027.

No logo is published until written authorisation and the relevant usage guidelines have been received from each institution.

Mai Soli — Nie allein — Jamais seuls