New England boy’s 2007 birth deemed a miracle by Pope Leo XIV

PAWTUCKET, RI — Pope Leo XIV has recognized the birth of a New England boy back in 2007 as an official medical miracle.

The boy, whom The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints only identifies as Tyquan, didn’t breathe for over an hour when he was born prematurely at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket on January 14, 2007.

Tyquan’s health finally took a turn for the better after a doctor prayed to a 19th-century Spanish priest, Father Salvador Valera Parra.

Tyquan was released from the hospital on April 3, 2007, after spending some time recovering.

According to Vatican records, Tyquan has been able to live a regular life and even participate in sports.

In 2014, members from Parra’s diocese in Spain traveled to Rhode Island to conduct an investigation into the claims of a medical miracle.

“The miracle at the former Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket in 2007 is a reminder of the power of prayer and the intercession of holy men and women. God is indeed close to us,” the Diocese of Providence said in a statement.

The process can often take decades before the Pope can recognize it as a medical miracle – but the diocese of providence was able to help speed up that process.

Pope Leo XIV officially deemed the birth a “miracle” on June 20.

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