Dr. Juan Sanchez-Esteban has broken his silence after the Vatican officially recognized a 2007 case involving his prayer as the first miracle attributed to Pope Leo XIV.
The doctor, who was working at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, recalled the moment when a premature baby named Tyquan Hall showed no signs of life after birth, with no heartbeat and no response to resuscitation efforts.
Faced with a medical dead end, Dr. Sanchez-Esteban said he stepped back and prayed aloud to Father Salvador Valera Parra, a 19th-century Spanish priest, asking for divine help.
Moments after the prayer, the infant’s heart began beating again without any further medical intervention.
Now 18, Tyquan reportedly developed normally, speaking by 18 months and walking by age 2, despite early fears of brain damage from oxygen deprivation.
On June 20, Pope Leo XIV—America’s first pontiff—declared the event a miracle, formally endorsing the case as part of the sainthood process for Father Valera Parra.
Dr. Sanchez-Esteban, who still practices medicine, said he cannot share patient details but supports the Vatican’s conclusions and remains moved by the experience.
He said he sees the recognition as a powerful reminder that faith and science can exist in the same space, adding that compassion remains at the center of care.
The Diocese of Providence called the announcement a blessing for the entire community.
President Donald Trump offered a statement honoring the doctor’s role and praised the Vatican for acknowledging “a moment of pure grace.”