Probably everyone lived some moments that are unforgettable and maybe completely changed their lives. For me it was the moment when I graduated, I can clearly remember how much my parents were so happy and proud of me, or when I met my favorite actress just by chance, I froze for seconds before freaking out over seeing her. It was crazy and unforgettable moment.
For the Masciantonio family, the most special and amazing moment they’ve lived so far is when their baby daughter, Gianna, met Pope Francis in Philadelphia. The family had a friend named Donny Asper who’s an FBI agent. That day, he was assigned to help with the Pope’s security, so he informed the Masciantonio family and told them to head downtown with haste, and the family, of course, followed the instructions.
Donny knew that his friends Joey and Kristen are both devout Catholics and he was eager for their baby daughter to meet the pope but Gianna had then an extremely rare blood disorder and a tumor.
The parents couldn’t wait to receive Pope Francis’ blessings in downtown Philadelphia, They were only looking for a hope. That day, hundreds of people gathered in the place waiting for the same thing, In the midst of noise and crowd, the parents feared for their daughter’s condition to get worse and even thought of giving up and returning home.
Eventually, they decided to try their chance and stop worrying, maybe it would turn out good for them by the end of the journey, and it did….
The family stood in an area where the pope was expected to pass through. Once Joey saw Pope Francis making his way toward the location, he held baby Gianna up high to grab the security agents’ attention. One of them took notice of the baby and took her to the pope.
There, amongst thousands of onlookers, Pope Francis kissed the child upon her head – the family had been blessed!
The day is over, and the family life returned to normality. The parents kept taking their baby to their medical visits and they never lost hope in her recovery.
That’s when, merely six weeks later after Gianna’s encounter with the pope, Joey and Kristen were news that seemed like a true miracle. Scans shower her tumor had shrunk remarkably, permitting to Gianna to head for a firm recovery.
Did her encounter with the pope really had a healing effect on her? We’ll never know for definite, but the family are certain of their own belief: “The kiss was God’s work, that’s for sure.”
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