Pope Francis blesses girl suffering from spina bifida

'I said I was going to pray for him and he said he was going to pray for me'

During his historic and equally heartwarming and compelling papal visit to the United States, Pope Francis took the time to bless several people who arrived hours before in the hopes of coming face-to-face with the pontiff.

Among them was 17-year-old Stephanie Gabaud, who risked the dangers of traveling following a surgery. When Pope Francis stopped to bless her, she knew the perilous journey was well-worth the risk. 

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - It is well known that Pope Francis shares empathy and emulates the Bible's message of sending love and hope to the masses -particularly toward the weak and the poor. He always takes the time to bless children and the disabled, even choosing to open the Vatican to the homeless; so it was not a surprise when the pontiff approached Gabaud during a visit to the St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. 

The Daily Mail reported that the pope stopped walking down the aisle so he could greet the crowd. It was then he spied the 17-year-old strapped in her wheelchair.

Stephanie suffers from spina bifida and had recovered just enough from back surgery to travel. Along with some of the members of her community, the teen who dreams to one day become an actress, traveled from White Plains to witness Pope Francis in New York City.

The teen saw the pontiff walking toward her and burst into tears. She told the New York Post, "I said I was going to pray for him and he said he was going to pray for me. He actually gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Oh, my God, as soon as he did that, I was tearing up."  

"He said something in Spanish that I couldn't understand at first," she said. "I wished him blessings, and then he gave me a hug. Oh my God, it was just so amazing."

Not understand what Pope Francis said did nothing to ebb the teen's excitement. The pontiff's blessings have changed people's lives and renewed their faith in accordance to God's Word.

Though he has returned to the Vatican, thousands of people will hold tight to their memories of when the pope graced America with is presence.

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