Rest in peace Despoina…
It is with great sadness and pain that we bid farewell to Despoina Gkini, Deputy Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association and a patient with Cystic Fibrosis. She passed away on Wednesday 25 February at the age of 39, after a long and brave battle with Cystic Fibrosis.
Despoina was treated at the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre of the Papanikolaou Hospital of Thessaloniki. During the last months she was treated at the Lung Transplant Center in the Intensive Care Unit of Attikon Hospital. She remained for 70 days intubated and supported by an extracorporeal oxygenation machine ECMO, waiting for a compatible lung transplant, which was not found.
He lived in Thessaloniki. She was a wife and mother of a 10-year-old boy. She was a fighter, active and a constant presence in the community of patients with Cystic Fibrosis, with a substantial contribution to the work and actions of the Association.
Despoina gave a brave, long and dignified fight for Unlimited Breath. She fought with strength, perseverance and admirable mental stamina until her last breath, trying to win a second chance at life through lung transplantation.
She has been a fighter, strong and present in our community over the years with clear speech, sensitivity and a deep belief in the importance of collective effort. Her presence and participation on our Board of Directors and in the patient community has been great. She has left her imprint through her attitude towards life and through her actions for all her fellow patients.
We express our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. Her loss fills us with pain but also with gratitude for having been with her on this difficult journey.
For patients with Cystic Fibrosis who are in end-stage respiratory failure, lung transplantation is the only option for survival. Organ donation offers a second chance at life where there is no other option. It is an act of humanity and social responsibility. Anyone can register as an organ donor on the National Organ Donation Registry: https://www.eom.gr/ethniko-mitroo-doreas-organon-kai-iston/
Rest in peace Despoina…
Your fight for Unlimited Breath will remain a beacon for our community and for every person who is fighting their own fight. Your memory will remain alive in the heart of our community and will continue to inspire and unite us all.
The Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
- The last goodbye to Despina will be given on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 12:00, at the Cemeteries of the Resurrection of the Lord, in Thermi, Thessaloniki.
