After kiss with Pope, girl with brain tumor survives

When Pope Francis kissed baby Gianna Masciantonio in 2015, some saw it as an encouraging sign.

The then one-year-old had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Doctors had not expected that she would make it to her first birthday, but she overcame the odds — and days after her birthday, Pope Francis kissed her head, Yahoo News quotes CBS Philadelphia as having reported.

It was reported that Gianna had histiocytosis, a rare condition that made it impossible for her to have surgery to remove the tumour.

They made the donation in the name of the foundation they started, For the Love of Grace.To commemorate Gianna’s recovery, her parents, Joey and Kristen Masciantonio, donated $50,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where Gianna was treated.

Grace is Gianna’s middle name, and the foundation is dedicated to helping children with brain tumours and histiocytosis.