A Rhode Island baby born in 2007 has been named the center of a Vatican-recognized miracle by Pope Leo XIV, dramatically advancing the sainthood cause of a Spanish priest who died over a century ago.

Daily Caller reported that Pope Leo XIV has confirmed the unexplained recovery of a premature baby named Tyquan as a miracle attributed to prayers made to 19th-century priest Salvador Valera Parra, bolstering the priest’s beatification process in the Roman Catholic Church.

Tyquan was delivered on January 14, 2007, at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, following an emergency C-section. Doctors made the urgent decision due to several birth complications, including a lack of oxygen. At birth, Tyquan’s prospects for survival were bleak, with no initial signs of life or heartbeat.

Prayer During Crisis Sparks Turnaround

One of the attending physicians, originally from Spain, turned to prayer amid the child’s critical condition. The doctor invoked the name of Salvador Valera Parra, a priest known in Spain during the 1800s. Little was known of Valera Parra in the U.S., and he had never visited the country.

According to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, moments after the prayer, Tyquan’s heart spontaneously began beating. This change occurred without any medical action taken at that point. The sudden revival shocked the medical team as they prepared for the worst.

Doctors moved the newborn to Women & Infants Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, where he was diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The diagnosis typically signals a high risk of brain damage. Initially, caregivers feared that if Tyquan survived, he might suffer long-term neurological issues.

Unexpected Recovery And Normal Development

Over the months and years that followed, Tyquan defied those concerns. He began speaking at 18 months and walking unaided by age 2. As he grew older, he even joined sports activities, with no significant impairments noted by medical professionals.

It wasn’t until 2014 that Church officials began formally investigating the case. A team of investigators from Spain traveled to Rhode Island to examine the medical records, witness testimonies, and timeline of events. Their work formed part of the evidence submitted to the Vatican for review.

Salvador Valera Parra, the priest to whom the prayer was directed, was born in 1816 and ordained in 1840. He gained recognition for his religious service during times of natural disasters and epidemics across 19th-century Spain. He died in 1889, and efforts to declare him a saint have been ongoing.

Official Declaration From the Vatican

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence publicly announced the Vatican’s recognition on an unspecified Friday. This development confirms that the Church views the event as a medically inexplicable recovery following a direct appeal to a specific religious figure. It marks a crucial step toward Valera Parra’s beatification, the stage just before sainthood in the Catholic tradition.

Rev. Timothy Reilly, chancellor of the Diocese of Providence, expressed his thoughts on the matter. “The miracle… is a reminder of the power of prayer and the intercession of holy men and women,” he said. Church members view such interventions not merely as coincidences but as divine responses to appeals for help.

Reilly reflected on the fascinating distance between the priest and the event. “The cool thing is, the more you think about the miracle itself, Father Valera lives in the 19th century,” he noted. “He never came to the U.S. We have no knowledge of him coming here.”

Modern Faith Meets Historical Faith Figure

“And yet,” Reilly continued, “because the doctor called out and called upon his name for help in the situation back in ’07 on behalf of that baby, he decided to intervene and ask God for a miracle.” This connection across time and geography was crucial to the Holy See's evaluation.

Before declaring a miracle, the Vatican undertakes a thorough authentication process. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints evaluates medical evidence and eyewitness accounts. Only when no scientific explanation is found, and a direct link to intercessory prayer exists, is the case approved.

Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, where Tyquan was born, was later closed in 2018. The facility’s role in the miracle has become a notable part of its legacy. Meanwhile, Women & Infants Hospital remains an active site of neonatal care.

Path Toward Church Beatification Continues

The official recognition from Pope Leo XIV elevates the hope that Valera Parra will one day be canonized as a saint. Beatification requires at least one confirmed miracle, though sainthood typically necessitates a second. This recent declaration now satisfies the main requirement for proceeding to beatification.

Tyquan’s family has remained largely private, and their statements were not released as part of the Vatican’s findings. However, Church officials emphasized the spiritual significance of his recovery. The case stands as a rare example of a Vatican-confirmed miracle on American soil initiated through the faith of a single doctor.

As Catholic faithful reflect on the story, it serves as an unusual but powerful narrative in the modern era. For Church historians, this case bridges past and present, linking a 19th-century priest’s enduring legacy with a life saved in contemporary times. The next step for Valera Parra's candidacy lies with the formal beatification ceremony to come.