He's a 'Miracle Man'

BY MARIA SALAMIDA

In Oct. 2016, my husband, Rich, and I visited the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, as we have many times. We were coming to pray for Rich before his aortic valve replacement surgery.

When my husband venerated the relic of St. Faustina, his heart fluttered. I told him it was a good sign - that maybe he would have a miracle!

Rich received the Anointing of the Sick, and a priest we know, Fr. Amedeo, celebrated a healing Mass in which he saw in prayer that Rich would have a successful surgery.

On the day of his surgery, I kissed Rich and professed my love for him. I told him to trust in Jesus and to come back to me.

The valve replacement was successful, but when they closed his chest he flat-lined. They opened him back up and needed to shock his heart repeatedly. They called larger hospitals for reasons why this would be happening - perhaps a piece of calcification fell into his heart.

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, six hours into his surgery, I was in dread. I asked my cousin to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with me. We finished the Chaplet, and an assisting doctor came to tell us what was going on.

The surgeons removed a piece of vein from his leg to prepare for a heart bypass, but it was deemed unnecessary. They shocked his heart a record number of 89 times until he was stable enough to leave his chest open with a clear plastic covering and machines to assist the heart.

When I saw my husband out of surgery, he was in a coma and his heartbeat was erratic. Father Amedeo, who was in Chicago, said that he saw in prayer a pendulum swinging erratically, but at 4:20 p.m. (Central time) it went to perfect rhythm. At 5:20 p.m. (Eastern time), Rich's heart rate settled into a normal rhythm - exactly when Fr. Amedeo saw that it would!

Family, friends, and I went to the hospital chapel to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The hospital chaplain, Fr. LeFache, remarked on how beautiful our fervent praying of the Chaplet echoed through the hall of the hospital.

Two days later, they decided to finish Rich's surgery. The surgery was successful - praise Jesus!

The next morning, he awoke. I was cautioned that there might be neurological damage from the shocks he had received, but miraculously he was fully aware of who he was and where he was. The hospital staff started calling him a "miracle man."

Later that day, Rich began aspirating. His respirations dropped and he was put back into a coma and onto a respirator. Chorbishop Faris, a Syriac Marionite Bishop, came and gave him absolution.

Rich began to improve daily, but was put on a feeding tube. Both our pastor, Fr. Dellos, and Fr. LeFache came at separate times to bless Rich with a relic of St. Jude!

The feeding tube was removed and soon after Rich was discharged. Thanksgiving dinner was chicken soup and praising Jesus.

There is power in prayer - and Rich is a living testimony to this. Months later, Rich is now working full time and his scars are healing. I believe this is truly a Divine Mercy miracle.

Maria Salamida lives in Utica, New York.


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