A Pennsylvania couple believes that Pope Francis' miraculous kiss was responsible of their one-year-old daughter's amazing recovery from an inoperable brain tumor.
People Magazine reports Joey and Kristen Masciantonio spoke to CBS Philadelphia about the miracle they witnessed after the Pontiff kissed baby Gianna's head during his Papal visit in Philadelphia in September.
According to her parents, Gianna was only given weeks to live after her blood cells attacked her brain stem just weeks after her birth. Doctors have found a rare brain cancer that, initially, even surgeries couldn't cure.
Kristen had dreamed of having her daughter meet the Pope, so the family went to his Papal parade in front of Independence Hall with hopes of catching a glimpse of him. That's when a friend from FBI found them and handed Gianna to the Pope's bodyguard whose name was, coincidentally, Domenico Giani. (FYI: Gianna's older brother's name is Dominic.)
Believed as a sign of divine intervention, Pope Francis kissed Gianna's head and her father was ecstatic. Two months later, after a series of chemotherapy, Gianna's tumor had shrunk.
"I think this is all from God," Joey told CBS. "I believe the Pope is a messenger from God."
Compared to Gianna's brain scan in August, the tumor seemed to have disappeared after the kiss. "You can hardly see the tumor," Kristen said. "And so many of the cuts. It's just a blur."
"She's getting better and stronger. She's blowing kisses. She's starting to point at things," she added.
Gianna's parents haven't lost their hope that there is a bright future ahead of her. They can't even wait to tell their daughter the incredible story of how God healed her through the Pope's kiss.
"Last year was about living in honor of her," Joey told Eyewitness News. "Now we're going to get to live with her."
