My name is Lisa LoPorto, and this is my story. I had my second brain bleed on May 20, and my husband drove me to the hospital. I knew from the pain that it was bad. I just kept saying, “Jesus, help me! Jesus, help me!” Then, when I began to lose consciousness, I began to pray, “Jesus, forgive me! Jesus, forgive me!”
I have no memory of arriving at the hospital. A priest arrived to give me Last Rites. There was a period when I wasn’t sure if I was awake or asleep. I knew it would be easier to die, and I felt the presence of past relatives. Then God let me know I would be my choice—that I could pass on or stay alive. I said, “No, Larry needs me.”
When I came to, I was intubated and strapped down on my bed. I felt that I couldn’t breathe, and it was as if I was on the cross. Then I heard Jesus’ voice in my head. “Do you see what I endured for you?” he said. “Do you understand what I’ve done for you?” I felt invited to share his suffering. Then I realized the hospital was like a cathedral. My priest told me about a priest who said each patient was like a bead in a rosary.
I’d planned to go on a retreat that weekend. It was to be organized around humility. But now I was learning about humility in a different way. When I was no longer intubated, I learned that I’d lost twenty pounds. I also found that it was impossible for me to swallow. I was told I couldn’t go on to rehab until I could manage to do that. Then a Eucharistic minister came in and gave me a guided meditation. She asked me to try swallowing a little piece of the Eucharist. It was the first thing I could swallow, and I feel that it healed me. I could swallow anything after that.
I feel that I’m alive because of the Eucharist, and the ministries of the Eucharistic minister and the priest. I feel blessed that I survived. Now I’m sharing my healing story.
— Lisa LoPorto
Columbia, MO
Update:
I want to tell you that Jesus is real. The Eucharist is really the body,blood, soul and divinity of Jesus the divine healer is real.
Here is my story.
I suffered a small stroke in 2015. Fr. Richard Litzau was pastor then. He and Sister Karen visited me while I recovered. It took about three months but I went back to work. I had no consequences then.
Fast forward to 2023. I had another stroke. This time it was very serious. In fact, I wasn’t expected to make it. Larry rushed me to Boone Hospital. I lost consciousness in the car. I remember saying over and over “ Jesus be with me”. Before I lost consciousness I remember saying “ Jesus forgive me”
All went black. I was told later that I was taken into surgery . I had a hemmoragic stroke. I had an AVM.
Because of the blood that was filling up my head cavity, my brain had shifted. Larry called my sister saying I might die that night. My sister told Larry to call my pastor. She started a prayer chain with my family. Fr Dan came to the hospital and prayed over me. I survived. When I woke up I was intubated and my arms were tied down so I would not pull out my tube. I remember hearing a voice in my head say “ Do you not see what I have done for you? I couldn’t breathe either. I could not move either.” Then I heard”this is my Cathedral .” I understood the voice was Jesus. The cathedral was Boone Hospital. I was to pray for the patients and all that worked there.
I don’t know how long I was in the hospital. The stroke affected my right side. Also, I lost twenty ponds because I could not swallow ( not a diet I recommend!) Sandy Dierks came over with “ a little piece of Jesus” to swallow. She gave me the Eucharistic Lord and a meditation to pray. Healing happened. I could swallow anything afterwards. My husband,Larry saw what happened. He teared up. Then the nurse that works with me and does the swallowing test came in my room. See what God did there?
After two years of prayers and being on the prayer list at Mass and in the bulletin, I’m still making progress everyday. I walked with Larry on the MTK trail that ends downtown by campus. I walked and saw crosses on the trail in the form of twigs just for me.. I still see them. I take pictures of them and point them out to my husband. I still can’t drive because of equilibrium and balance issues but I pray with expectant faith that I will be completely restored.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to tell my story to whomever will listen.
P. S. I recently went for a follow up visit to Barnes Jewish hospital. I had an ablation done on my AVM last year. I went for an angiogram. What was to take an hour and 1/2. took thirty minutes. The Doctor doing the procedure could not find anything.
I am still in complete shock and awe. Praise Him!