Andrea, a 13-year-old boy affected by a rare disease linked to a mutation of the Sox4 gene, has written a letter to the governor of Puglia, Michele Emiliano, in which he asks why the Taranto steel plant, formerly known as Ilva, is to be kept in operation. The boy, one of the plaintiffs in a legal action against the plant alongside ten other people including his mother, expressed concern for the health of children in the area.

In the letter Andrea uses the expression "the monster" to refer to the former Ilva and writes that children "are afraid of becoming angels," a reference to the fear of falling seriously ill or dying due to the environmental consequences attributed to the plant's activity. The letter was delivered to Governor Emiliano, who stated he intends to forward it to the national Government.

Emiliano also said that it is not possible to remain indifferent to the situation described by the boy. The legal action Andrea is involved in is part of the broader litigation related to the alleged health and environmental consequences of the former Ilva in Taranto, one of the largest steel sites in Europe, long at the center of debates over health impact, employment, and industrial production.