Project Description
We are honoured to have had Professor Alex Felice sit on our Board and be an integral part of our team until this very year. Today, I relive the beautiful moment, twelve years ago, when, after a television interview I had given on rare diseases then still an unspoken subject, and after meeting him by accident on a plane trip from London, I received a handwritten letter from him. In it, he urged me to keep speaking up, and to continue working for this rare cause that so few acknowledged.
I invited him to Villa Francia, and from that day forward, he was never absent from any conversation or event we organised. His presence became a constant source of strength and inspiration. He served on our Board for ten years, right up until the last three months of his life.
The early planning of his renowned colloquium, his calm and kind manner, and his youthful dedication earned him the admiration of countless students and researchers who were his pupils. They were drawn to his inquisitive mind, his energy, and the generous spirit with which he shared his knowledge.
Today, we mourn him. We will deeply miss his wise counsel, his encouragement, and his unwavering support.
May he rest in peace.
Professor Alex Felice was a Founding Board Member of the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support – Malta, a Professor at the University of Malta, and a Visiting Consultant in Thalassaemia and Molecular Genetics at Mater Dei Hospital. An expert in rare blood disorders and rare disease biobanking, he authored numerous scientific works and served within several international scientific societies. He represented Malta on the board of the BioBanking and BioMolecular Research Infrastructure of the EU and the EuroBioBank consortium.
His legacy will continue to guide us, inspire us, and give voice to those living with rare diseases.
