My Story is about Andrea Spinelli, patient

This event took place from 18 Oct 2013 until now.

The Discovery

Pancreatic cancer was diagnosed in 2013 when Andrea was suffering stomach and back pain, and suddenly his skin and eyes became yellowish. The tumor, in the head of the pancreas, was locally advanced and non-operable.

This is My Story

It is a story that gives hope! Andrea Spinelli, 47 year old from Sicily, was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer in 2013 and 9 years after his diagnosis, he continues to fight, write books and walk. Since the doctors told him he had only 20 days to live, Andrea did not give up and began to walk thousands of kilometers, often alone, reaching very remote and beautiful places. His pedometer has just passed 24 thousand kilometers. Andrea began walking small distance routes, from home to the hospital, and then moved on to more challenging walks, such as the “Camino de Santiago” in Spian and the “Via Francigena” in Italy. The pain caused by the disease is still strong, but “thanks to my physical activity, the body produces endorphins that help tolerating the pain, at least mentally”, Andrea says.

From his experience, Andrea wrote his first book “Se Cammino Vivo” (If I walk, I live), he is still sharing his daily adventures on his blog. On September 2021, Andrea presented his new book, “Il Caminante”, in which he tries to answer a very frequently asked question: “How can you be so calm?”. Andrea said “immerse yourself in reading and, perhaps, follow Andrea’s footsteps.

The Impact of Time

The concept of time is very important for Andrea. “From having 20 days to live to 8 years after, how many places I visited, how many people I met on my walks, how many pages I wrote. Time is a big gift and we have to use it in the best way we can.”