In an Incredible Gesture of Love and Faith, Pope Granted Boy’s Dying Wish to be Buried Near the Vatican

"The only thing that he wanted was to be near me, to be buried in the Vatican," Pope Francis recalled to La Stampa.

Tomasito was first diagnosed with cancer in his kidney in 2004, at the age of 2, the Jesuit Review reported. Francis first met the boy, it said, when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and when the boy’s aunt was a secretary for his auxiliary-bishop. The report noted that Pope Francis said Tomasito had “great courage” and was “prepared for death.” He also "converted his parents, who then got married in church. He did a miracle," said the Pope.

Tomasito died on July 20, 2013, four months after Pope Francis took his position as Pope. Francis told La Stampa he was “deeply moved” by the way Tomasito took on his disease, and kept his faith in God.

In 2015, he was buried in the Teutonic cemetery in the Vatican, adjacent to the  St. Peter’s Basilica. On the grounds where the “Circus of Nero” stood during the Roman Empire, the area was the site of the martyrdom of many early Christians, before the Emperor Charlemagne built a school on the grounds. In 1527, it was the site of the Stand of the Swiss Guard against the Germans, and today it’s very near to Santa Marta, the guest house in which Pope Francis lives.

Childhood Kidney Cancer

There are a number of different types of tumors that can occur in the kidneys of young children, according to the Nation Institute of Cancer. Wilms’ tumor is the most common type of childhood kidney cancer, and it can occur at any age between infancy and 15, but is most common in children ages 5 and younger.

Wilms’ tumors account for about 6% of childhood cancers, and about 500 children are diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor per year, according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. When the tumor spreads, it most often spreads to the abdominal lymph nodes and lungs.

Symptoms of the disease include swelling of the abdomen, blood in the urine, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, weakness or tiredness, fever, high blood pressure and constipation, though these symptoms are non-specific, and could indicate other illnesses as well.

The five types of standard treatment used for Wilms’ tumors and other childhood kidney tumors include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue. Some treatments, like targeted therapies, are still being tested in clinical trials. Most childhood kidney cancers are treated with “nephrectomy,” or kidney removal, or “partial nephrectomy,” or partial kidney removal.

Faith and Prayer During Cancer

For a lot of cancer survivors, faith and prayer are extremely important to the recovery process. "I knew that if I just put my faith and trust in God, that I would be okay," breast cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent told SurvivorNet about her cancer journey.

Vincent discovered a lump in her left breast the day before she turned 30, with just over a month until her wedding. Her doctor initially dismissed her concerns, but follow-up tests confirmed that it was stage 2B breast cancer. "It was hard for me. I felt as if I was being punished," she said.

Breast cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent on the role of faith and God during cancer.

But after chemotherapy, radiation and hormone replacement, Sharonda is doing well. She’s currently a social service advocate at the Public Defender’s Office in Philadelphia.

Sharonda’s message: Don’t give up hope. Educate yourself and live every day to the fullest. "Breast cancer is no longer the end of the world," she said.

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