Brooklyn Girl Finds Hope When She Meets Pope Francis

A 12-year-old Bath Beach girl got to experience a very special moment with Pope Francis last week.

Julia Bruzzese, a student at Saint Bernadette School in Dyker Heights, was diagnosed with Lyme disease in May and mysteriously lost the ability to walk, reports News 12. Since her diagnosis, Bruzzese, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, says she has turned to her church and faith for courage.

Her principal told her that she and her family may have an opportunity to greet the Pontiff when he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday, September 25. On Thursday, Bruzzese received the tickets.

Bruzzese told the reporter she feels transformed by the support she’s received from her school, and by her encounter with the Pope, during which she says she kissed his ring and he gave her a blessing.

“Now I just know that I will be able to walk again and I will be back to my normal life,” she told the outlet.

Since the story broke, several people who have been affected by the disease reached out to the girl on Saint Bernadette’s Facebook page, offering words of encouragement and hope.

“I have a friend who has Lyme disease and is 90 percent better because of certain things she has done and has a Lyme disease doctor from PA,” wrote a woman named Darlene on the school’s page. “Maybe this is the miracle she is looking for.”

Another woman, claiming to be a Lyme disease sufferer, offered to share her experiences managing the disease.

“I simply want to let her know that she is not alone and that I may be able to help her and her family given my 10 year struggle with the disease,” she wrote.

Bruzzese was not the only young person from our area to meet the Pope on Friday. The boys from Xaverian High School’s jazz band had the honor of playing a medley of classic jazz pieces for Francis as he exited the tarmac.