Spirituality

Pope Leo declares Rhode Island baby's revival to be a miracle

By T.K. Randall
July 26, 2025

Image: Pope Leo XIV
Credit: Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) According to reports, the incident itself occurred all the way back in June 2007 when a baby - referred to as "little Tyquan" - was born premature and critically ill at the Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket.

The attending physician - Dr. Juan Sanchez-Esteban - had described in a later interview how the child had been born through induced labor and then Caesarean section due to a low fetal heart rate.

The medical team worked tirelessly to revive him, but after 65 minutes of seeing no sign of breathing or a pulse, they eventually reached the conclusion that he could not be saved.

Dr. Sanchez-Esteban, at that moment, called upon 19th-Century priest Father Salvador Valera Parra to save the infant after remembering a prayer to him that he had learned as a child.When he then went to inform the child's parents of the terrible news, a nurse came rushing in to inform him that the infant had in fact starting breathing on his own without further medical intervention.

It was believed that his ordeal would have led to further complications down the line, but incredibly, the child went on to develop normally and has since led a healthy, active life.

Now Pope Leo has moved to recognize Father Salvador Valera Parra as being responsible for saving the child.

This alleged miracle has also advanced Father Parra's likelihood of becoming a saint (he must have two miracles attributed to him for this to happen).

Whether divine intervention had anything to do with the child's recovery, however, remains a matter of debate.

Source: Catholic Standard

Tags: Pope, Miracle