From Silent Heartbeat to Vatican History
Yes—the Vatican has officially ruled that a baby who was born with no pulse in Rhode Island in 2007 was saved by a miracle.
But the story is even stranger (and better sourced) than most headlines suggest: it links an unknown Spanish priest, an American–Peruvian pope who loves Wordle, and a now-healthy teenager who should have died before his first breath.
The Moment That Made Church History
18 July 2025, Rome. Pope Leo XIV signed the decree that every pope dreams of and dreads: his first authenticated miracle.
What pushed the file across his desk was not an apparition in Rome or Lourdes—but the frantic prayer of a Spanish-born doctor in a Pawtucket, Rhode Island, delivery room 18 years earlier.
• The patient: newborn Tyquan Hall, delivered by emergency C-section, no detectable pulse, body turning blue.
• The doctor: Dr. Juan Sanchez, out of medical options, whispered a last-chance prayer.
• The name invoked: Fr. Salvador Valera Parra (1816-1889), a country priest from Huércal-Overa, Spain, unknown outside his hometown.
Minutes later, Tyquan’s heart reportedly began to beat on its own.
Multiple independent outlets—Reuters, AP, New York Post, and the Spanish site Primicias—confirm the Vatican’s investigation and final ruling.
(See sources: Reuters, NY Post, Primicias.)
A Forgotten Priest Steps Into the Spotlight
Father Valera Parra died quietly in 1889 with zero miracles to his credit. Thanks to Dr. Sanchez’s off-the-cuff plea, he now has one—and that is enough for beatification.
One more verified miracle, and the plain parish priest could be proclaimed a saint.
Meet Pope Leo XIV: The Tennis-Playing Wordle Fan
The miracle is also a milestone for the pope himself. Leo XIV—born Robert Prevost in Chicago, holder of dual U.S. and Peruvian citizenship—became the first American pope on 8 May 2025.
• 69 years old
• Still plays tennis, according to Reuters
• Cheers for the Chicago White Sox (AP confirms)
• Solves Wordle daily with his brother (Men’s Journal)
What We Know, What We Don’t
| Claim | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pope Leo XIV declared the Rhode Island event a miracle | Confirmed ✓ | Vatican decree, multiple wires |
| Baby had no pulse, revived after prayer | Confirmed ✓ | Found in decree and medical summaries |
| Rev. Timothy Reilly praised the decision | Confirmed ✓ | Quoted in several outlets |
| Tyquan “spoke at 18 months, walked at 2, shows no impairment” | Unverified ⚠ | Only the NY Post states this; no medical records released |
| WJAR-TV aired a 2007 segment on the birth | Unverified ⚠ | Archive clip still not located |
We asked WJAR-TV for the purported 2007 footage; the station says it is “searching its archives.” Until that material surfaces, the dramatic pediatric milestones remain a single-source anecdote.
Why This Miracle Matters
- First act of Leo XIV’s papacy. Sets a pastoral tone for a pope who presents himself as ordinary—a South-Sider who plays pickup tennis—but is now guardian of the Church’s most extraordinary claims.
- Fast-track for Valera Parra. A humble 19th-century parish priest may soon join the likes of St. Francis and St. Mother Teresa.
- Modernizes sainthood. Leo XIV is also pushing forward the canonization of tech-savvy millennial Carlo Acutis (beatified in 2020, canonization scheduled for 7 Sept 2025).
The Road Ahead for Tyquan—and for Truth
Tyquan Hall is now a high-school senior who, according to the Diocese of Providence, “loves basketball and computer science.” His family declined interview requests, citing privacy.
Journalists—including this one—are still chasing:
• Neonatal medical charts from Memorial Hospital, Pawtucket
• A second eyewitness account beyond the Vatican summary
• The elusive WJAR news clip
Until those pieces surface, the core miracle stands on the Church’s investigation and two medical experts who testified under oath that no natural explanation fits.
Bottom Line
A pope who plays Wordle has just stamped “miracle” on a case from an American hospital, thrusting a forgotten Spanish priest onto the path to sainthood.
Most of the story checks out; a few colorful details still float in uncertainty. As more sources emerge, we’ll update—miracles, after all, invite scrutiny as well as faith.