Donating to better causes…

Most of my long-time readers will remember what happened last summer. I was hospitalized for 42 days because of an acute pancreatitis with hemorrhagic necrosis. I risked my life during that time, not only because of the pancreatitis, but also because of pulmonary complications and HIT syndrome. The worse thing, though, was the original reason for the hospitalization: the pancreatitis.

I didn’t consume alcohol even before this event; I didn’t and don’t smoke, I didn’t consume lots of fat foods (and now I almost don’t eat fat at all). The causes of my pancreatitis are still unknown.

It’s not something I like to think of. Even though I was so much lucky to come out of the hospital alive, and not even diabetic, I’m always afraid. During those 42 days, my whole life changed, starting from my point of view. I used to save money for the future, now I don’t. I have difficulties to save money for next month, and that is not really good as I don’t have a regular job, but just temporary jobs that gives me money for a little time and then leave me dry for a while.

But saving means thinking of the future, and a future I sometimes wonder if I ever could see. I wish to see it though. I started making plans again for the future. I want to get over my fear of planes this year, someway; the usual suggestions of being drunk or smoked can’t be used anymore, but something I want to do. I want to be there next FOSDEM. I want to be there at more conferences. I want to at least try to have a talk at those.

Before you think I’m begging for money, I want to stop you. While I certainly appreciate all the people who donated to me, and who would like to continue doing so, I think that has a smaller meaning than it used to, maybe than it should, being as it is that I could use some help during the months I’m not working.

This is what I just put in my blog’s sidebar, replacing the previous “Help needed” entry:

Still thanking all the people who helped me with donations for the new disks for Enterprise and generic maintenance costs, I decided to change direction with respect to donations.

While I still accept gifts from my Amazon wishlist, I’d rather suggest, to anybody who wants to help me to instead donate to the National (USA) Pancreas Foundation.

If you want to let me know, use the in Honor donation option, and use this address: [omissis].

I’m asking this because after my hospitalisation I see little point in saving money for the future, and research into Pancreatic diseases is more likely to make me good.

Thanks in advance to everybody wanting to contribute.

I’m actually not sure if I can benefit directly from research of the NPF, as it’s an American organisation, but I’m optimistic in them sharing information and research with the rest of the world, Italy included. I haven’t been able to find a similar foundation in Italy, otherwise I would have pointed to that.

I actually need to find one, as when I file my tax papers next year for this one I want to donate the 5‰ to pancreas research (this is how much the Italian laws allow me to donate off my tax payment to scientific research; the silly thing is that I could donate 8‰ to religious organisations…); when I’ll do that I’ll probably add that to an alternative. My american readers will most likely prefer the 501©(3) option.

I know it sounds cheesy, but that experience really changed me, and not only in good ways. I’m now quite aware of my mortality, and that makes me fear to lose everything at once. I’m now more interested in leaving a trail, as I might not live long enough leave children.

So if you want to thank me for my (mediocre) job as a developer, this is probably the best way. Please remember that especially if something happens to me…