The blessings of Sister Claire

My story is perhaps different from others you may have received from patients at YNHH.

While working in the department of Diagnostic Imaging, a beautiful tiny lady named Sister Claire became one of the frequent patients to visit my department. She was being treated for breast cancer and had to undergo many tests such as CT scan, nuclear medicine, mammogram and more. It seems that she was in the X-ray department several days a week and lived in a convent an hour and a half away.

Sister Claire always had a smile on her face and never complained. One day I mentioned to her that I was looking to adopt a baby and soon afterwards she handed me the most beautiful medal of St. Gerard, the saint of motherhood, and a prayer card. She didn't say a word.

There were two other girls in the department who were also having difficulty getting pregnant. I copied the prayer and handed it to them.

On October 16, 1988, on Saint Gerard's feast day, Sister Claire and nuns from her convent prayed for me. The next morning on October 17, 1988, twin boys were born in a small orphanage in Bogotá, Colombia, South America. I received a call exactly one week later from this orphanage asking if my husband and I were interested in accepting the twins. There were several couples that were also waiting to adopt, but somehow we were blessed to receive these babies. When I contacted Sister Claire, somehow she was not surprised.

Sister Claire passed away in 1992. I was fortunate to speak with her just before her death and cherished the visits I had with her and the twins. I always thanked her for intervening to a "higher being" on my behalf. She never wanted any credit. The two other girls in my department were also blessed with children the following year.

I truly believe that if it weren't for meeting Sister Claire at YNHH, I wouldn't have had my beautiful family today.

Thank you Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Susan and David Tendler
Guilford, Conn.