The Cayetano Heart Foundation was born out of tragedy, with the aim of preventing other families from going through the same situation that I had to go through.

It was the last day of the academic year, a year ago, and what was supposed to be a day of celebration for the start of the school holidays turned into the worst day of my life. When I walked into the living room, I found Cayetano (my 14-year-old son) dead. After a long wait of eight months, I was told the cause: Giant Cell Myocarditis (GCM).

The pathologist explained to me that GCM is a very rare type of myocarditis that mainly affects young adults or middle-aged people in good health. It develops over a couple of days and, in most cases, by the time it is detected, it is already too late. Just like what happened to my son.

The incidence rate is between 7 and 51 cases per 100,000 people. Therefore, it is not a disease that large pharmaceutical companies consider profitable to research. However, for me, 0.007% is everything when it comes to a loved one.

The objectives of the Cayetano Heart Foundation are not only to carry out medical research in order to find early diagnosis, alternative treatments and, ultimately, a cure that does not involve a heart transplant. They also aim to help families going through a similar situation by assisting them with paperwork, providing support and facilitating the necessary contacts.