The Pope embraced her while she was fighting cancer, and now she's giving him a hug back

A Ukrainian girl who once received comfort from Pope Leo XIV during her battle with cancer has returned the embrace she received from him. Thirteen-year-old Varvara met the pope at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on December 31, 2025, while awaiting surgery for her cancer. The encounter gave her strength to continue fighting her illness, which she has since overcome. Now, after learning of the pope’s hospitalization, she visited him at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to return the embrace and offer a gift for his recovery. Varvara arrived at the Gemelli Hospital on Saturday morning accompanied by her parents, Dmitry and Iryna. Security personnel allowed her to approach the pope as he was leaving the hospital. They exchanged some words, with the assistance of an Ukrainian priest facilitating their conversation. Varvara told the pope how meaningful their December meeting had been, giving her “strength to overcome my disease, which I have fortunately conquered.” She also shared that upon hearing of his hospitalization, she felt compelled to visit Rome to pray under his window and return the embrace that had given her courage. She wished him well, saying, “You will also overcome this moment and continue your work of spreading the Gospel.” Varvara’s life has been marked by war, forcing her family to flee their home. After seeking refuge in Chernivtsi in southern Ukraine, doctors discovered her cancer in 2025. With the help of the humanitarian organization La Memoria Viva from Castellamonte, Varvara and her family were transported from Lviv to Italy, where she continued her treatment at Turin’s Regina Margherita Hospital. Although treatment could have taken place in Ukraine, hospitals there face extreme difficulties due to the war, including frequent attacks and power outages. In Italy, Varvara and her family found safety and support. Despite the challenges, recent tests brought encouraging news. Inspired by this, Varvara wanted to share her joy with the pope. Through the WhatsApp application, she contacted Roberto Falletti, a volunteer from La Memoria Viva, and confided in him her desire to meet the pope again. During their meeting, Varvara presented the pope with a framed photograph of their first embrace on St. Peter’s Square. The frame was made from traditional ceramic from Castellamonte. Alongside the photo, she gave him a small felt doll resembling the pope. This gift holds special significance for Varvara. When she had to leave Berdyansk due to the war and move to an unfamiliar environment, the plush toy named Basik accompanied her. “It is my only friend since the beginning of the war. It is with me and will accompany me in Italy, where I don’t know anyone and don’t speak the language, where I had to undergo long-term hospital treatment. It is my younger brother, whom I don’t have,” she explained. The pope, who was released from the Gemelli Hospital yesterday following favorable blood and X-ray results, addressed the faithful today before the Angelus prayer. He expressed gratitude for all the prayers and support he received, especially thanking the hospital staff. In his speech, he focused on the day’s gospel passage. “I would like to thank everyone who prayed for me during these days. I truly felt your support. Thank you!” he said to the gathered faithful, who greeted him with loud applause. He specifically thanked the doctors, nurses, technicians, and all the staff at the Gemelli Polyclinic. “This experience helped me feel close to all those facing illness and physical exhaustion. After surviving this sensitive period, I will, as you know, gradually begin to resume my duties, always with God’s help and the support of your prayers,” he added. He reminded the faithful of Jesus' words: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” This shows that Jesus does not fear history but comes to live within it. “His kingdom does not replace human duties and responsibilities, but requires us to live them without compromises that would distance us from goodness. This means we are freed from bad ambitions and unjust interests, placing God’s kingdom and its justice first.” A person who gives Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s is, according to the pope’s words, truthful, fearless, and free from hypocrisy. The surgeon who operated on the pope told Vatican media that the holy father is in good health and will need ten more days to fully recover. He sees no obstacles to the pope embarking on a planned longer trip to South America early November. The surgeon also described his experience operating on the pope. Professor Stefano Margaritora, who operated on Pope Leo XIV on October 13, told Vatican media that he experienced a deep personal emotional experience, even though it was a routine procedure. The pope will need ten more days to fully recover. “Operating on the pope was a deeply intimate emotional experience that I can hardly describe. Of course, you are dealing with a man, since the pope is ultimately a man, but you are very aware that he is not an ordinary person. Pope Leo has such strong charisma that it is impossible to see him as an ordinary man. You prepare for the operation of a pope who is undergoing surgery for the first time, so far as we know, in modern history due to a malignant tumor. You realize that the eyes of the world are watching, because the pope is not just the leader of a country but also the leader of the faithful scattered around the world, and the media attention is exceptional. Therefore, it is clear that routine operations cannot be considered routine from a human perspective. So I experienced a whole range of conflicting feelings. On one hand, I told myself: ‘You have to perform an ordinary operation, one you’ve done a thousand times in your career.’ On the other hand: ‘You’re performing this kind of operation for the first time on a pope.’”