It is difficult to find a surgeon like Enzo Piccinini. He never gave up. He knew how to take risks when others held back. When patients turned to him, he took each person to heart and never abandoned them, even when there was nothing more he could do surgically. However, if there was even the slightest possibility of a solution, he would doggedly pursue it, striving to help each patient any way he could.

Enzo Piccinini was an amazing surgeon but also a true friend to everyone he cared about. He was a wonderful father, not only to his four children, but also to the many people he led to embrace Christianity. He was one of the most resolute proponents of contemporary Catholicism-his actions have opened thousands of hearts to the truth and beauty of Christ. For him, every patient was an image of the suffering Christ; every person was sacred. He became a world-class surgeon because he felt that every person deserved the best medical care possible. In his practice and in his life, he embodied the ultimate form of "personalized medicine." Sadly, Enzo died in a car accident on May 26, 1999 in Fidenza, Italy. His funeral was attended by more than seven thousand people.

After receiving news of Enzo's sudden death, Father Luigi Giussani, founder of the Movement of Communion and Liberation and Enzo's close friend, wrote, "What most impressed me is that his adherence to Christ was so all-consuming that there was never a day when he would not seek out the human glory of Christ in every possible way." Enzo was an exceptionally admirable and kind-spirited human being. His memory will forever live on in the hearts of all those who were a part of his vision for a better world. You, too, will feel touched by his story and will hopefully be inspired to lead a life of compassion, love, and generosity.