As the first miracle to be recognized during his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV recognized the 2007 healing of a premature infant born in a Rhode Island hospital. Reportedly, one attending physician prayed to Father Valera Parra, a 19th-century Servant of God recognized by the Catholic Church.
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As reported by GoLocal Prov, the miracle declaration was part of a June 20 decree that recognized 174 new Catholic martyrs. In it, Pope Leo XIV approved the 2007 healing of Tyquan, a premature infant born at the now-closed Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket.
“The miracle at the former Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket in 2007 is a reminder of the power of prayer and the intercession of holy men and women. God is indeed close to us,” Rev. Timothy Reilly, chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, told WCHS-TV.
The Miracle
According to the Vatican’s Discastery for the Causes of Saints, the incident occurred on January 14, 2007. At the time, Tyquan’s mother had arrived at the hospital, and labor was artificially induced given a deficient fetal heart rate.
Doctors diagnosed fetal oxygen deficiency and chorioamnionitis, an inflammation of the fetal membranes, which is a serious condition, as per Cleveland Clinic.
After being born, Tyquan suffered with multiple symptoms, which didn’t improve an hour after birth. Fearing that the baby was going to die, the attending physician prayed to Salvador Valera Parra. He was a 19th-century Spanish Venerable Servant of God.
The physician said a prayer he had learned in his native Spain. He prayed, ‘Fr. Valera, I have done everything I can. Now it’s your turn,” as per GoLocal Prov.
As doctors were prepared to deliver the tragic news to the mother, Tyquan’s heartbeat suddenly improved without external intervention. He showed tremendous signs of improvement in the following weeks, and he was discharged on March 1, 2007.
Doctors were certain at the time that he would develop developmental hardships. However, Tyquan went on to live a normal childhood, even participating in sports.
Tyquan’s healing was submitted to the Diocese of Providence back in 2014. Now, 11 years later, it has been recognized by Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. Furthermore, the miracle is the first recognized in Rhode Island.
Furthermore, this miracle declaration will be crucial in Vale Parra’s beatification and eventual canonization by the Catholic Church.