The doctor at the center of Pope Leo XIV’s first miracle recognition has come forward with a personal account of how a little baby’s life was saved.
The communique by Juan Sánchez-Esteban relates to a moment predating the current American-born pontiff’s tenure, when he momentarily gave up on medicine and resorted to his faith.
Inexplicably, the premature newborn, which had a dark prognosis, recovered, and is today living a full and healthy life.
Highlights
- The baby, named Tyquan Hall, was born unresponsive and declared de*d until a doctor prayed to a 19th-century priest.
- The child’s heart restarted after the prayer, and he spoke and walked before age two.
- The Vatican has recognized the event as a miracle, fast-tracking a 1900s priest’s path to sainthood.
The doctor recalled a moment when he was out of medical options
Image credits: Vatican Pool/Getty
The event transpired in 2007 at a Pawtucket hospital in Rhode Island. The doctor, a Spanish native, had run out of options after the infant, reportedly Tyquan Hall, did not respond to neonatal resuscitation.
He had been born through an emergency procedure after an “alarmingly” weak heartbeat was detected.
Outside the womb, he continued to deteriorate despite an hour of medical interventions.
Image credits: Brown University
Having run out of ideas, Sánchez-Esteban abandoned medicine in favor of faith.
The baby started speaking and walking in short order, just before the age of two
Speaking to a Spanish media outlet that mainly covers issues related to Catholicism, the doctor explained how he whispered a prayer to the historic Salvador Valera Parra, a 19th-century Spanish priest known for his work with the sick.
Image credits: Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island School
“Fr. Valera, I have done everything I can. Now it's your turn,” he recalled saying.
According to the doctor, the infant’s heart started beating minutes later, even though he had just been declared d*ad.
The baby was transferred to a women and infants hospital, where he made a complete turnaround in no more than a fortnight.
Image credits: www.facebook.com
The Daily Mail, which received the doctor's communication, reported that Hall transcended the health workers' fears of brain damage. At 18 months, Hall spoke for the first time and walked for the first time six months later.
As a testament to his sterling health, he is currently an avid sportsman.
While the doctor would not share the name of the miracle child, other Vatican documents specified his name
Image credits: INSTITUTO DE ESTUDIOS ALMERIENSES
“As a physician, I have the privilege of witnessing both the fragility and the incredible resilience of life,” he told the outlet.
“While I cannot speak about any individual patient due to HIPAA privacy laws, I understand that a recent recognition by the Vatican has brought comfort and meaning to many,” he said of the canonization published on June 20 this year.
The “miracle” has fast-tracked a 1900s priest to sainthood
Image credits: Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi
Reverend Timothy Riley from the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island also weighed in, saying:
“We are thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra.
“The cool thing is, the more you think about the miracle itself, Father Valera lived in the 19th century. He never came to the US. Never came to Rhode Island,” he continued.
Image credits: Vatican Pool/Getty
“And yet… the doctor called out and called upon his name… he decided to intervene. This is a blessing not just for Rhode Island, but for the Church.”
The doctor emphasized that the hospital will take in anyone irrespective of their beliefs
The anomaly has brought Dr. Sánchez-Esteban’s 19th-century benefactor closer to sainthood.
Image credits: Vatican Pool/Getty
The Rhode Island clergy confirmed as much, adding that it “reminds us that miracles are not relics of the past.”
Dr. Sánchez-Esteban concluded his statement with: “At Care New England and Women & Infants Hospital, we are honored to be part of the stories that inspire hope.”
He also noted that despite the Catholic orientation of the event, which some name the Miracle at Memorial Hospital, the facility was “committed to providing care grounded in compassion, excellence, and respect for every individual and their beliefs.”
The news has sparked controversy on the internet
The news has sparked religious uproar between Christians and Catholics, with everyone happy for the child’s recovery, but with a large faction claiming that prayers should not be made to humans or priests past or present.
