Girl's tumor shrinks after meeting Pope Francis

[UrbScotty]

IN THE WEEKS after Pope Francis blessed their ailing daughter during his visit to Philadelphia, Joe and Kristen Masciantonio probably spent more time in the cancer ward at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia than at Mass at St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church in Jamison.

But last week, Joe said, scans showed that a troublesome tumor in 1-year-old Gianna's brain shrank significantly after rounds and rounds of surgeries and chemotherapy, to the point where it's "basically gone."

The tot's stunning reversal of fortune - which came after a dire diagnosis from her doctors - led one family friend to call Gianna's encounter with the pontiff "the Miracle on Market Street."

That same friend, Donny Asper, was the sympathetic FBI agent who tipped off the family that Pope Francis would pass the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse on Market Street near 7th when leaving Independence Hall after his Sept. 26 address there.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20151123_Miracle_on_Market__Tot_s_tumor_shrinks_weeks_after_encounter_with_Pope_Francis.html#3gdQoZzwV8ws5iEa.99

[shrike]

2. Boy, this story sure brought out the angry atheists on the Philly site

But to me, the point is that the child's tumor has shrunk; that's the important thing. I don't really care how it happened. I'm so happy for the parents.