A young Italian man who dedicated his life to providing prosthetic limbs for amputees in poor countries has died in a road accident in Angola, it emerged on Wednesday.
35-year-old Luca Falcon from Verona is understood to have collided with a lorry on Sunday while traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, by motorbike.
In 2020 he founded Karma on the Road, a non-profit organization that takes donations of used or discarded prostheses and delivers them to amputees, especially children, in Africa.
He set up the organization on the back of his own experience of losing a leg in a motorbike accident in 2016.
"The story of Luca Falcon is one of courage, of a strong spirit that overcomes difficulties by putting himself at the service of others and doing good, " said Lower House Speaker LorenzoFontana.
"We are deeply saddened by his passing by him. We are close to his wife, to all his family members by him and to those who, over the years, have walked with him," he added.
"The Veneto region will miss among its citizens a man who made solidarity and commitment to the weak and oppressed his mission," said Veneto Governor Luca Zaia.
"The dedication and courage of volunteers like Luca Falcon, who are committed to peace and to the welfare of the poorest and most marginalized groups in society, are priceless.
"Their passing is a tragedy that affects not only the people towhom they dedicate their efforts, but also the entire international community that benefits from their work," he continued.
"I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, family, friends, colleagues and all those who crossed Luca's path, hoping that his sacrifice was not in vain, but may inspire others to continue his mission of generosity and altruism," concludedZaia.
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