August 30 | 
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Irish family suggest Padre Pio relic saved their child
A three-month-old girl has made a miraculous recovery after her father placed a relic of Padre Pio on her bed.
Caitlin Dooley was placed on life support for 25 days after being born on May 12 due to a life-threatening heart condition, called dilated cardiomyopathy.
After her heart function dipped to 33%, parents Kieran and Sandra thought her only chance of survival would be to have a heart transplant.
However she bean to make a miraculous recovery, which her father said occurred after Padre Pio’s relic was placed on her hospital bed.
“People can make up their own minds about these things, but it has made me think,” Mr Dooley said.
At 11 days old, Caitlin was not feeding properly and her oxygen levels dropped from what should be a minimum of 95% to just 60%, falling even further to 37% three days after.
She was taken to the intensive care unit and diagnosed with the heart condition the following day.
After her condition worsened, doctors began to fear her other organs would begin to fail – which can happen as a result of the condition.
Her parents had her baptized and were given time to hold her, but she made the miraculous recovery after her heart function rose to around 70% after 25 days on life support, later being taken off the ventilator and a transplant no longer being considered.
The nearest thing to an explanation her parents got was ‘something clicked within Caitlin and she just took off,’ with cardiologists saying her heart function is now ‘technically normal’.
Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione, was an Italian friar and priest, made a saint in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, who famously bore the signs of stigmata.
He too was poorly as a child, having gastroenteritis in his early life, contracting typhoid fever at ten years old and taking ill again at aged 17, when he was only able to digest milk and cheese and was sent from the Capuchin Friars, who he joined at Morcone aged 15, to recuperate.
He was ordained in 1910 but had to stay at home due to poor health, and was diagnosed with cancer in later life that was cured following two treatments.
Caitlin’s recovery has not been verified by Vatican officials.
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