"I had sla but in Lourdes I started walking again". Doctor: unexplained event
«A scientifically inexplicable phenomenon, which I myself will take some time to elaborate»: this is how the neurologist Adriano Chiò, from the Molinette hospital in Turin, defined the healing of his patient affected by Sla Antonietta Raco, 50, of Francavilla sul Sinni ( Potenza), who started walking again after a trip to Lourdes.
"I've never seen a case like this," said the doctor. Nobody, not even the direct interested party, speaks of a miracle. You prefer to speak of "gift". The doctor specifies: «This visit had been scheduled for some time, and was not used to ascertain any prodigies. This is why there are ecclesiastical authorities ». In the meantime, however, Antonietta Raco, sick with sla since 2004 and in a wheelchair since 2005, walks without hindrance. The neurologist continues: «In June, when I visited her, she was unable to move. Just to get up from the wheelchair and stand with a support. I have never seen anything like this in an Sla patient. It is an evil that can slow down, but it does not improve ». However, the woman will continue to be followed at the Molinette Neurology department, and Professor Chiò has already ordered - "out of pure caution" he explains - the repetition of some tests that the woman has carried out in Basilicata in recent days.
Antonietta, who together with her husband Antonio Lofiego, returned from a pilgrimage to Lourdes organized by the diocese of Tursi and Lagonegro, is still incredulous: «The outward journey, I did it in the wagon stretchers of the Unitalsi White Train. The next day, in the blessed tub, I heard a female voice tell me to take courage. I thought it was a sign that I would get worse again, but then I felt like a hug, and severe pain in the legs. I understood that something was happening ».
When she got home, she heard the same voice again: «She told me to tell my husband what had happened. I then called him, and in front of him I got up and went to meet him. Since then I have never moved in a wheelchair. Only the first time I went out, because before showing myself to everyone I wanted to consult with the parish priest ». An unexpected joy, that of Antonietta and her four children, from whom, however, the "miraculous" risks being overwhelmed.
"It is like a win at Superenalotto, which also brings with it incredulity and a sense of guilt", explains the psychologist Enza Mastro, of the Piedmontese Association for assistance to the SLA. «In the protagonists of these unexpected healings there is often shame compared to other patients, little desire to go out and show themselves, fear of the envy of others. And anyway, it's a complex emotion that takes time to manage. The daily affections and safety are very important: the lady has a solid family that will do her well to take care of, and she has a lot of faith, which is a fundamental refuge in cases like this ».