BLESSED ALFONSO MARIA FUSCO HEALS GERSHOM CHIZUMA
Gershom Chizuma was born in Murnbwa, Zambia, Africa on May 1994 for the spouses, Terenzio Chizuma, 28 years and Martina Kad lo Ciiizunia 24 years. On 18 January 1998 Gershom Chizuma fell ill due to fever and was subject to seizure. Parents carried him to the doctor’s office located in the “Canfinsa“. Kenneth Ngosa, the nurse responsible for hospital, diagnosed that the baby was suffering from malaria, and he gave an injection. After a slight improvement, the status of the child worsened in such a way, that it was necessary to have him admitted in the Central Hospital in Kitwe. Unfortunately he was placed in the department for the poor. On 21 January of 1998, Chizuma spouses, seeing that their son did not improve and fearing for his life, they decided to transfer him to the children’s ward of the Hospital Wing.
There he was visited by several doctors. One of them, Dr. Marsyano Jada Muludyang, head of the Pediatric Department, said that at the time of admission Gershom was in deep coma, clinically horns of the third degree. He so testified, describing the state of the child: “The baby was hospitalized with the following diagnosis: cerebral malaria, one of the most lethal complications of malaria, and status epileptics. He was in a very serious condition and was in a coma. The condition of the baby was desperate. This diagnosis was made by my physician assistant who was on call overnight hospitalization. I confirmed the same diagnosis on the morning of January 21, 1998. The diagnosis was absolutely sure and confirmed by microscopic blood test, which showed the 20% parasitized red blood cells and confirmed by clinical manifestations and Symptoms “.
The baby was administered medicines for the aforementioned Malaria. Without that therapies they achieved “absolutely no results”, as claimed by the same doctor, the mother of the little sick, the head nurse of the Department as it is explicitly mentioned in the medical records. Indeed during the stay in hospital the child was subject to further complications, consisting of: septicemia, pneumonia and according to a statement of the mother of Gershom for two days continuously vomited blood. He remained in Coma state.
But the mother did not abandon the bedside of the son and the nurses tried their best. They did not receive any answer. The persistence of coma state convulsive raised concerns and questions since it damages the brain provoking cerebral edema hemiparesis, rigidity of the muscles, intellectual deficiencies, peripheral neuritis, defective hearing, sight and speech …. Especially on the morning of February 2, 1998 physicians and the entire nursing staff had given up hope that the baby might arrive alive until the following day. The doctor says, “the prognosis of February 2, 1998 was very serious to Gershom Chizuma: foresaw the death”.
The same doctor who made such a prognosis made it known to the mother of the baby. Mrs. Chizuma, herself a nurse, noted that her son did not improve. She was convinced that her son would never come out alive from that state. Also the ward sister, Agnes Sichinga, in her statement of March 8, 1999, confirmed the severity of the conditions of the child on February 2, 1998. On the same day Sr. Livia Caserio, head of the House of the children “San Martino”, went to Kitwe Central Hospital, to visit an orphan child hospitalized in the same department of Gershom, whom she had seen in a coma.
The nun described that visit: “On the afternoon of February 2, I went over to the mother of Gershom, who was very sad and hopeless. I tried to encourage her. All of a sudden I remembered that we had to start the Tridum prayer with my religious community in preparation for the 88th death anniversary of our Father and Founder, Alfonso Maria Fusco. Powered by a large inner urge, I ran at home, took the photo of our Father Founder and went back to the hospital. I gave the photo to mom of little sick, telling her to pray, commending herself to Alfonso Maria Fusco. She recited the prayer and put the image under the pillow of Gershom. Gershom’s mom said that when Sr. Livia asked her to pray with confidence to Alfonso Maria Fusco for healing of the baby, she, who belonged to the seventh day Adventist Church, did not want to invoke the man of Holy card. However since she was desperate and ready to do anything that would bring her son back to life, she recited the prayer first together with his mother. And then, about midnight again with her mother”.
Mrs. Chizuma testified: “The prayer was effective. It was a miracle. I cried almost every day, I cried because my child was dying and his condition was always the same: on February 3, 1998, in the morning, around 6, I saw my baby was moving his legs, then moved his hands and opened his eyes and called me “Mom.” This is a miracle, I said. I noticed the change, I was surprised. Gershom himself took off the oxygen mask he had and that was the only night he had no fever. Healing was immediate from coma to that of pure consciousness. He also could eat something. He drank a little milk and ate some bread “.
The doctor on the morning of February 3 visited the boy and found him healed. Then he declared: “The healing took place between the night of 2nd February and the morning of 3rd February 1998. At one point, Gershom had started singing. He was fully conscience and sat up. Temperature from 40° degrees centigrade had dropped and was normal. The child’s mother and the nurses on duty were present. The test which gave him the morning of February 3rd did not find in him anything. The pneumonia was gone. The respiratory system was free, the blood test in vitro and awareness were negative. Pulses were normal. The central nervous system was normal. “
Gershom was released from hospital in good health, although understandably weak. All the doctors were agreeing that healing was not scientifically explainable. According to their experience, healing of Gershom represents a unique case; all those who are suffering from cerebral malaria resulting in deep coma, die or remain with significant physical impairments and mental disorders. Doctors have testified that the healing of Gershom was sudden, complete and lasting.
The child was taken for a check-up on 8/19/1998. He was examined by the same doctor and hormone-throat clinics and was found in perfect health. On October 20th, 1999 physicians of the Medical Council of the Congregation for the causes of Saints, have declared the healing of Gershom Chizuma is scientifically inexplicable. On March 3rd, 2000 “Congregation of Cardinals” for the cause of Saints discussed “the case’ and unanimously expressed their vote 6 out of 6.