When Pope Francis visited Philadelphia in late September, Joe and Kristen Masciantonio were fortunate enough to have their ailing daughter Gianna kissed by the pontiff as he made his way on Market Street. One-year-old Gianna had been going through rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries due to a brain tumor.
In the weeks that followed the Pope's visit, the Masciantonios were shocked to learn that Gianna's brain tumor had shrunk that it was "basically gone" as shown in the scans. One of the Masciantonio family friends called the phenomenon "the Miracle on Market Street." The same friend, a compassionate FBI agent named Donny Asper, had told the Masciantonios that the pontiff would pass along Market Street after a speech at the Independence Hall.
Gianna's parents needed all the help they could get, especially after the doctors' dire diagnosis. The doctors were skeptical that anything else could be done at this point. They had advised Gianna's parents to go home and cherish the last few months they have with her. After learning that the Pope would be visiting Philadelphia, Gianna's mother Kristen was determined to have her meet the pontiff.
Gianna's father Joe was more skeptical and greatly concerned how the hectic day out in public would affect their daughter's weak immune system. After consulting with Gianna's doctor who encouraged them to go, the family went on their way. They waited by the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse on Market Street and held their one-year-old baby as far as they could. Vatican City's head of security Domenico Giani carried Gianna over to Pope Francis. The pontiff kissed Gianna on the head where the tumor was located.
"He just caught our eye...it's like God told him," said Joe. "It was truly blessed. God really let her know he heard her prayers."
Gianna's recent scans taken in October showed a substantial decrease in the size of her brain tumor to the point that it is "basically gone."
"You can hardly see the tumor in so many of the cuts. It's just, it's just a blur," said Kristen. Joe added that the family, including their four-year-old son named Dominic, spent the last year living in honor of Gianna. After the miracle kiss from the Pope, the family gets to live with their daughter.
Gianna is named after a modern-day saint and Italian pediatrician who died in 1962 and canonized in 2004, St. Gianna Beretta Molla. Gianna's birthday also fell on the month when she got the kiss from Pope Francis.
