St. Gianna was an Italian pediatrician and mother in the 20th century. When she was pregnant in 1961, doctors found a fibroid tumor that threatened her life as well as the life of her unborn baby. She was advised to either remove the tumor and face possible further risk to herself, or have a hysterectomy and face absolute risk to her baby. It was a terrible decision to have to make. St. Gianna chose to only have the tumor removed and protect her baby. Her daughter, Gianna Emanuela was born healthy and St. Gianna unfortunately grew steadily ill with sepsis following the birth. She died shortly after her daughter's birth. St. Gianna was declared a saint in 2004 and is the patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children. We ask for the intercession of St. Gianna for all mothers who are experiencing difficult pregnancies. October is Respect Life Month; as we come to the end of this month, our faith calls us to respect life ALL months. To learn more about life issues, click on the link below. You can learn more about St. Gianna from her daughter in the video attached below this post.
