Mattia didn't make it: he died at 13 after nine years in a coma due to contaminated cheese.

Mattia Maestri, a 13-year-old Trentino boy who had been living in a vegetative state since 2017 following a severe Escherichia coli infection, has passed away. The infection was traced back to the consumption of cheese made with contaminated raw milk, an episode that deeply shocked public opinion and sparked a debate about food safety.

For nine long years, Mattia remained suspended between life and death, while his family faced a journey of treatment, hope, and legal battles.

The Father's Announcement

The boy's death was announced by his father, Giovanni Battista Maestri, with a message full of sorrow.
«Our Mattia has left us and on his behalf I thank you for having contributed to making his passing less painful».

Words that close a human story marked by suffering, but also by the family's determination to seek truth and justice.

The fight for justice

Over the years, Giovanni Battista Maestri has waged a lengthy legal battle, choosing not to accept any financial compensation and instead demanding that all responsibilities related to the affair be ascertained.

The father also transformed his personal tragedy into a public commitment to prevention, publishing the book "The Truth About the Dangers of Unpasteurized Milk Cheeses," recently presented to the Senate, with the aim of drawing attention to the risks deriving from the consumption of contaminated foods and the importance of controls along the supply chain.

An event that marked the country

Mattia's death brings to light one of the most painful health stories of recent years. A case that has sparked debate over food safety, responsibility in the production chain, and the need for increasingly stringent control standards to protect the health of consumers, especially children.