As we look back and honor the life and legacy of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88, a family from El Mirage is opening up about their meeting with Pope Francis nearly a decade ago — and the impact it's continued to make on their lives.
"The Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, the gelato..."
Jessica Bitsui and her son, Nikolas, have so many fond memories of their 2016 trip to Italy, but there was something even sweeter about their time there. That was the year their family got to go from the Valley to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis.
In November 2016, then-6-year-old Nikolas Humphrey-Bitsui was able to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican thanks to Make-A-Wish Arizona.
"It was a beautiful experience just being able to witness my son getting his wish granted," explains Jessica.
"When I hugged him, I felt a shield around me, like all those medical issues and problems were just gone, vanished."
Those issues have plagued Nikolas since he was a baby. He was born with a series of birth defects.
When Nikolas was 4 years old, he was undergoing back surgery, and while he was on the operating table, he had a profound vision that would change his life.
"I told my mom I saw angels, and I saw the gates of heaven, and they told me to meet Pope Francis."
From there, the experts at Make-A-Wish Arizona started to work their own magic!
"They were not expecting that wish to come out of a little one, especially since he was 4 years old at the time!" explains Jessica.
Jessica says the wish took about two years to come together, but it was entirely worth the wait.
"All that weight, stress, worry, just was lifted like a bubbly, tingly sensation all over my body. Like chills - but a different kind; all my worries and stress went away, and a hand touched my shoulder, just letting me know that he would be okay, no matter what."
It was a peace Jessica would draw on during difficult times. In 2023, during a routine surgery, Nikolas wound up with an esophageal tear and was on life support, but Jessica never lost her faith.
"That gift I mentioned...knowing he was okay. I actually sat at the end of his bed and I prayed...I was speaking to God and letting him know that if it was his time, I was okay. I was ready...That moment I got at the Vatican, I was told he was going to be okay."
But Nikolas was more than okay, now thriving as a high school freshman in El Mirage.
His meeting with the Pope may have been nearly a decade ago, but the memories are always close to his heart.
"Thank you for blessing me," Nikolas told us, his prayer to Pope Francis.
At a very young age, Nikolas has learned that sometimes, blessings come in disguise - and other times, they grab you by the arms, warm your heart, and never let go.
