A Miracle at Lourdes

My firstborn son was healed of a heart ailment as an infant at the Marian Shrine in Lourdes, France.

I don’t talk about this often because I’ve had this nagging notion that one day I’ll wake up and realize that it didn’t really happen and my son will be scheduled again for surgery. But Stephen is 8 years old now, and the healing is real.

My wife and I may never submit the details to the medical board at Lourdes, but we only have to look at Stephen to know in our hearts that a miracle took place.

Our son is a fast runner, a Little Leaguer with a keen batting eye, a Bear Scout who can hike a mountain, and a big brother to our 4-year-old Justin.

Stephen was born more than seven weeks premature on the feast day of St. Padre Pio (who was a Blessed at the time). He spent 10 days in the neonatal ICU, where they detected a heart murmur. Tests revealed a mild coarctation. If you are like my wife and I were at the time, the word is unfamiliar and frightening. Coarctation is a narrowing of the aorta, a condition that restricts blood flow and could lead to hypertension and stroke.

We got a second opinion, with the same diagnosis, and our son was scheduled for surgery at 7 months of age. By God’s grace, we were accepted for a pilgrimage to Lourdes with the Knights of Malta, who each year charter a plane to bring sick children and their parents to the place where St. Bernadette Soubirous saw the Blessed Mother and unearthed a stream of healing water.

We got little Stephen a passport, flew to Lourdes with the wonderful assistance of the Knights and Dames of Malta, and immersed ourselves in the grace of the famous shrine. My wife dipped him in the frigid water on two occasions, splashing extra water on his chest for good measure, and we prayed for healing. We also took part in a healing Mass, an amazing candlelight procession, a visit to St. Bernadette’s little home, and many other activities during our week in Lourdes.

My wife had the distinct feeling that something had changed with our son. I was not sure, and thought that her hopeful emotions were natural for a mother who had gone through a high-risk pregnancy and an emergency delivery.

We returned home and a few days later had an appointment with the pediatric cardiologist, who performed the usual tests, this time in preparation for surgery. He spoke little and said he would call us later. We were puzzled, and concerned. Had things gotten worse?

The cardiologist called that evening to say that he was taking Stephen off the surgery list for now. Too stunned to think, I told him not to let our hesitance sway him; we wanted the best for our son’s health. The doctor explained that the tests that day showed a marked improvement. He didn’t say anything after the exam because he wanted to consult with colleagues before breaking the good news.

“Is this the miracle we prayed for at Lourdes?” I asked. He said that as a doctor he didn’t deal in miracles, but he had never seen such a rapid improvement of this condition.

Over the months, the coarctation continued to improve, so that a specialist at one of the nation’s top hospitals said he could not detect any evidence of the condition.

Stephen was healed. The only explanation is Lourdes.

I tell this story to inspire faith and hope in others, as we approach the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11th. Not everybody who goes to Lourdes receives a physical healing. But everyone is healed in some way, spiritually, emotionally, mentally.

Please join me in thanking the Blessed Mother for her intercession before God, for all the graces she bestows on souls and bodies. Let us give glory to God in the highest.

Comments

[Frederick R, King]

At one time I was skeptical about moracles until I went to Loudes with a Protestant friend of mine. What happèned to him and to me was, for me was truly a miracle in itself. So now I do believe in miracles, I have seen it happen!

Frederick Y. King

[louise]

very nice story im glad you shared it with us

[carmel sammut]

God is great, lets all of us pray for the glorification of our Holy Mary Mother of God.

Love you all.

Carmel Sammut

[Ivo da C.Souza]

I do believe in miracles. God is powerful enough to work miracles. They are signs of God's presence in the world. We do not need miracles for believing, but they do confirm our faith in God.
Let me pray for miracles that we need in our daily pilgrimage. I hope to receive God's merciful healing!...

[Susan Hagerman]

It was a miracle! I believe it! I have experienced the healing of God in my own daughter! and Padre Pio! What a Saint! Miracles cannot be explained by medical doctors. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!

[Tim]

Brian. I'm happy to read of your miracle and I thank God for giving us these messages of his love. I too have an experience of healing from the waters of Lourdes. At the age of 46, I had open heart surgery to repair my mytral valve in my heart. The cardiologist thought that since I was still fairly young, that a repair should be done since my heart was becoming enlarged. The repair was done by a respected doctor and everything was thought to have gone well. One month later, echo cardiograms showed moderate to severe leakage of the heart valve and the surgeon said that the surgery failed. After six months, my cardiologist recomended surgery again to replace the mitral valve with an arifictial valve. He sent me to Rochester, Minn for another opinion and three cardiologists told me that they felt I would need to replace my mitral valve within two years. I went home with the need to have surgery again looming in the future. My youngest daughter was 10 years old at the time and knew a friend who's family knew a Nun who was traveling to Lourdes. She was told about the healing waters of Lourdes and asked if the Nun could bring some water home for her dads heart. The Nun agreed and she told me that she was getting something for my heart. I didn't ask what. I just said that was nice of her. About a month past when she came into our house with a little bottle with the image of Our Lady of Lourdes on it. I took a little drink from the bottle as my daughter ran to our room to get a stethoscope to listen to my heart. She was sure that I would be healed. My wife stood behind her and smiled as she listened intensely to my heart and I smiled back at her. Two weeks later, I had a scheduled echo cardiogram done. Following the reading of the echo, my cardiologist entered the room with the quote, I don't have any explanation for it, but your heart is normal. If I didn't know you were a heart patient, I would never be able to tell by examining you. Nine years have past now and my heart is still normal. I just had an examination a week ago. Prace God! He speaks of having the faith of a child. Although we did not travel to Lourdes, Our daughter showed us that the miracles of Lourdes can be brought to you.

[Tarcisio]

Hi, dear brother Brian! Peace, brother!

I'm very happy with your news! You aren't alone, brother! Miracles are considered because they are wanted as well! By us and They in The Hight!

If possible, visit my ESPIRITUALIDADE pages and see my own experiences. Translating from portuguese to english, by now! It's good to know!

Graces for God!

All with Jesus, nothing without Mary, of Fatima, Lourdes and every people and places "Aparecida"!!!

Regards, blesses for you and all Caufield Family!

Tarcisio!

[Marvin]

Glory be to God, Bro. Brian! I sense the urging of the Holy Spirit behind you as you wrote this post.

Indeed, heaven is closer than we think and the kingdom of God is at hand.

[Fr. Joseph Walsh, Lincoln (Neb) Diocese]

Brian, Thanks for the story on your little one. May the Lord be praised.

[Lori Drouhard]

Thank you for sharing this story with us. The girls truly enjoyed watching you sons and they are thought of often!

[Jeremy]

Thank you for your testimony. God is great and mysterious. Your courage displayed in sharing your story is a gift to us all.

May God move the hearts of those without the gift of Faith to ask for it. (There is so much that is "unseen" that most of us in this life miss. Thankfully it does not require us to believe for it to exist. How sad it would be if God's Grace (whether healing, or conversion, or mercy, etc.) would cease to exist like Tinkerbell's light, or Michael Ende's The Neverending Story World of Fantasia, because we ceased to believe in it.)

[Steve Wallace]

Thank you for sharing this. I am one who believes in miracles, as I have my own involving St. Padre Pio.

[Steve Sledge]

Wonderful story, and I'm glad your son was healed. I believe in miracles, but reading about one like this still sends shivers up my spine. Vivat Jesus!

[andres40]

Felicidades por esta caricia de Nuestra Madre. ¡¡ Y pensar que desde donde vivo yo Lourdes está sólo a dos horas!!
(y try to translate: Congrats for this caress of Our Mother. I am only two hours far from Lourdes... and, unbelieveablely, I still haven't been there!!)

[L. J., California]

My friend, I never understood miracles but I guess you are free to call a miracle what may be just a rare medical occurence. I do believe in God, but not in miracles.

[Jason, Fayetville]

Heaven is closer than we think. If people cannot get to Lourdes, there are shrines for Our Lady all over the US. I have a bottle of Lourdes water at home!

[Maria M.]

This is wonderful and inspiring. So many people think miracles are things of the saints in the past, but God is still working. Thank you for sharing.