By Charles Igwe
María Dolores Rosique, a Spanish pediatrician affectionately known as “Lola” among family and friends, has shared her inspiring story of faith and healing after overcoming aggressive abdominal cancer. She attributes her recovery to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, following a visit to his tomb in Assisi, Italy, where she entrusted herself entirely to his care.
“I always say that my illness has brought me more good than bad. One of those blessings is the deepening of my faith. Today, I know that without the Lord, I am nothing and can do nothing,”
Rosique told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language partner of Catholic News Agency (CNA).
In 2022, at the age of 44, Rosique was enjoying a fulfilling life with her husband, Pablo, their three teenage daughters (17, 15, and 12), and their 7-year-old son. However, during a family vacation in Tuscany, Italy, she experienced a moment that would change her life forever.
Rosique had been feeling unwell earlier that year, experiencing digestive discomfort. Despite undergoing ultrasounds and an endoscopy, her test results showed nothing abnormal. Yet, during a night in Tuscany, Rome, and the Vatican, she suddenly felt severe abdominal pain.
“I knew immediately that I had cancer. I wasn’t sure whether it was in the liver or pancreas, but I was certain. In that moment, our world turned upside down.”
She described the experience as going from “paradise to hell”, yet despite the hardships, she found unexpected grace along the way.
Rosique underwent two aggressive surgeries and intraperitoneal chemotherapy, enduring countless challenges. Yet, two years later, she joyfully declares: “Thank God, I am now free of illness.”
Interestingly, Rosique never prayed for a miraculous healing. Instead, she asked Blessed Carlo Acutis that her condition not be so severe, allowing her to see her daughters grow up.
“The real miracle is not just that I am alive—though that is a great blessing—but the profound spiritual transformation this experience has brought to me, my family, and even friends who had drifted away from God. Many have found their way back to faith because of this. That, to me, is the greatest miracle.”
