The following is a letter from Mary and Francis Gagliano about their 29 year old son, David. Their large family consisting of seven children and 15 grandchildren prayed for David daily along with others. We thank them for taking the time to share it with us and you.
In the past I have prayed to Padre Pio for myself, my wife and our seven children. Back in August, 1996, our youngest son, David, was found to have testicular cancer. This type of cancer, we later learned, mostly occurs in young people, especially male athletes between the ages of 19-31. Cases in the past several years have shown a fairly high cure rate, about 85%. After removal of a malignant tumor in David's lower abdomen, a CAT scan and other tests showed that many lymph nodes throughout his abdominal and chest area were infected with the cancer. David started on a very intensive chemo-therapy procedure over a four month period.
The reason for this letter to the Foundation is to acknowledge what we feel is a favor granted to us through the prayers of petition to Padre Pio. We wish to relate to you what has taken place regarding our son's illness subsequent to his chemo-therapy treatments. With the knowledge of our son's condition, my wife, Mary and I prayed more intensely along with our near daily mass attendance that we regularly do. I particularly prayed to Padre Pio in addition to Our Lady and some of the saints. My wife who devotes about 3/4 hour to daily prayer, prayed quite strongly to Blessed Anne-Marie Taigi.
A follow up CAT scan at the end of David's chemo regimen revealed a new tumor located in the upper part of his thoracic area and adjacent to his trachea. After consultation with several medical specialists, it was judged that this tumor may not be of the same type as the testicular type and that it should be surgically removed. The surgery was scheduled for January 9, 1997 at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. However, because of some uncertainties and the fact that the last CAT scan was taken more than four weeks prior to the scheduled surgery, the surgery was rescheduled for January 23 with a new CAT scan set for January 17th. This CAT scan gave a more definitive condition of the tumor, approximately the size of a large egg and located between the two lungs amongst some heart arteries and a nerve vein which controls a breathing or lung capacity muscle. The surgeon informed our son that the tumor appeared to envelope this nerve and he would have to cut it in removing the tumor. David would lose 15-20 percent of his breathing capacity. The nerve would not be regenerative.
My wife and I, along with Davids' brothers and sisters and his other relatives, and literally hundreds of friends prayed for David and the success of the surgery. I beseeched Padre Pio that if it be in accordance with God's Will that this tumor would just "disappear"; that it be readily removed with no complications and that it be benign.. My wife and I prayed very intently with trust and faith in God's Will during the weeks leading up to the time of the surgery. David received the Eucharist the night before the surgery and was in a good mental and emotional state before going into surgery.
The doctors expected a procedure that would take 3-5 hours and quite possibly longer depending on what they would find. We left David going into the operating room at 12:40 p.m. We were told by a nurse giving us an update at about 2:15 p.m. that the surgery started at about 1:20 p.m. and that all was proceeding well. At 3:15 p.m., our name was called at the message desk. We turned and saw the surgeon come to us. He quickly assured us that all was well and then related how he was amazed to see the tumor just "sitting" there between all the critical parts of the thoracic area. He told us how after cutting one rib and collapsing the right lung, he was able to gently put his left hand around the tumor to feel for the lung muscle nerve and realized that it was completely free of the tumor. He was able to lift the tumor and pull it from the area with no cutting and no bleeding! The tumor was immediately sent to the pathology lab for analysis for malignancy.
The surgeon told us that the chief pathologist determined that the tumor was benign. Only 1% of this kind of tumor is benign! It was determined to be "Type 1, Castleman" diseased lymph node. This is a very rare benign type; less than 100 cases known world wide. The power of prayer and God's Mercy and Love came to us.
Follow up visits gave opinions from doctors that David was well on his way to a full recovery and cure.
We feel very strongly that our petitions to Padre Pio along with the prayers of many others provided the positive results experienced by our son. In God's way, I believe that the tumor, in a manner of speaking, just "disappeared"; and I believe that Padre Pio interceded to have the results come out as they did.
We will continue to pray for David. We understand that he is back to work and well on his way to a full recovery.