Overview
- Speaking by video at a December 2 regional conference, the Dinamo Sassari and Italy forward said he was judged at risk of death a month ago due to a post-transplant complication but is now improving with ongoing therapy.
- Polonara underwent a bone marrow transplant on September 25 and credited his survival to an approximately 90% match from an American donor and highly skilled medical teams.
- He appealed for broader donor registration as the campaign "Accetta la sfida, diventa donatore" launched to target people aged 18 to 35.
- Emilia-Romagna reported 5,573 active donors as of October 31, projects 7,000 by year-end, and has performed 70 transplants in 2025, six more than in all of 2024.
- Basketball groups are rallying to the cause, with Polonara receiving an ovation at Italy–Iceland in Tortona and clubs beginning typization efforts, including Dolomiti Energia players and Reggio Emilia.