A couple of months after Pope Francis gave little Gianna Masciantonio a quick kiss during the latter's visit in Philadelphia, the one-year-old baby girl's brain tumor shrunk significantly.
According to a report from the online news portal Philly.com, Gianna is recovering pretty well after a series of chemotherapy and surgeries. Her parents, Joe and Kristen Masciantonio, residents of Warrington, were surprised that the latest result of the scan shows the tumor to be shrinking to the points where you can barely see it.
Joe and Kristen referred to the pope encounter with their child as "the Miracle on Market Street." Before this happened, the couple was told by their doctor that Gianna's situation is hopeless and that the tumor is inoperable. The father said that they were advised to just go home and enjoy the baby's final weeks or months, the news outlet gathered.
Kristen said that it is her dream for her little baby to meet the pope even before it was announced that he will visit the city of Philadelphia on Sept. 26.
Meanwhile, her husband said: "She was just dead-set," and added, "I'm the dad who didn't want to see the pope."
During the Pope's visit in Philly, the whole Masciantonio family took the long drive to the city to witness the papal parade. They stayed just outside the Independence Hall and were just expecting for a quick glance.
However, what they got was much more than that. Thanks to an FBI friend who helped them get closer to the pope's caravan.
The name of the Federal agent is Donny Asper. He told them to stay by the courthouse because the parade would pass there, the news outlet reported.
The pope's bodyguard took Gianna to the the caravan and Pope Francis gave her a quick kiss. The bodyguard's name is Domenico Giani, a name that is almost similar to the couple's other child, Dominic.
Her parents believed that what happened was truly a miracle.
"He just caught our eye...it's like God told him," Joe said. "It was truly blessed. God really let her know he heard her prayers," he added.
In a similar report by Eyewitness News, Gianna's parents said that she can now point her finger and blow kisses as the brain tumor seems to be disappearing. However, the doctor is yet to provide any explanation with regard to the shrinking tumor. Nevertheless, the family would like to call it a "miracle"
"Last year was about living in honor of her," Joe said. "Now we're going to live with her."
