Help Aleteia continue its mission by making a tax-deductible donation. In this way, Aleteia's future will be yours as well.
*Your donation is tax deductible!
Mariana Fossati, a 31-year-old Brazilian physician, disappeared on April 18, 2021, after leaving home on her way to the hospital where she works. When she didn't arrive at the hospital, where she was expected for her shift, or return home, her family panicked and started to search for her. Thankfully, she was found the next day.
According to news outlet G1, which reported the incident, rescue services narrowed down her location thanks to records of where her phone lost its GPS signal. Then, a driver spotted skid marks leading off the road, leading to a crashed car on an embankment in the middle of a forest. The crash site was in a mountainous region near Pouso Redondo, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The driver alerted the emergency service, which soon came to the rescue.
According to the rescuers, Mariana was found seriously injured and showing signs of dehydration. They immediately sent her to the hospital, where she remained for eight days.
She told police she had lost control of the car while swerving to avoid hitting a dog. The vehicle spun out of control and went down an embankment.
Badly injured, she was able to get out of her car but unable to climb the embankment. Her cell phone was unable to connect due to the remoteness of the location. Because of this, she was forced to remain at the scene for nearly 30 hours until rescue services arrived.
News outlet G1 reports that firefighters found Mariana lying near the vehicle next to a laminated holy card of St. George. Her family revealed that Mariana has great devotion to the "warrior saint,” and always carries an image of the saint inside her car.
Mariana's stepmother, Cibelle Fossati, said, "When we saw the photos taken at the accident site, we were moved,” referring to the severe damage the car suffered and the image of St. George found by Mariana’s side. “These signs are from God. She was born again," she said with deep emotion.
Mariana and her family are sure St. George’s intercession played an important role in her survival.
