The Rosary Kept Me Well

M Hugo

I am a migrant with nothing special to offer apart from Jesus' cross and Mama Mary's Rosary in my suitcase.

I was diagnosed with lupus nephritis stage 2 in 2007, which adversely affected our family's New Zealand visa application.

Lupus nephritis is an autoimmune disease with kidney affection and can be genetic with no cure. My mum Lilian also had lupus before she suffered from a terminal stage of colon cancer and liver cirrhosis. She was a woman of faith who served as God’s instrument for my calling at the age of 19.

She showed me strength and peace from the daily prayer of the Rosary with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Back then, I found the NZ immigration rules inflexible, particularly on medical requirements. Hence, our immigration consultant advised my husband to exclude me as his dependent, so he and our children could proceed with the visa processing. Our agent also suggested that my husband sign a waiver, indicating that he would shoulder all my medical expenses associated with lupus. It was a tough situation for my family, but my husband was prepared to decline his employment offer if I was not given a visa.

Thus, I held on to the Rosary and begged Mama Mary, our Queen of Heaven, to "help me pray for this intention, and wherever I go I will bring You with me". The following year my whole family migrated to Christchurch, and I had been under the government-funded specialists’ care since then.

However, understanding the complexity of lupus, I decided not to pursue anymore my profession as an overseas-trained dentist and nurse. I thought I might die soon, so I devoted my time to my family while doing other healthcare jobs and propagating the Rosary.

Until one day in 2015, my specialists cleared me from their care; my rheumatologist advised “Lupus is a vague condition; to some doctors you may have it, to others you may not have it. All this time we have been following you up, clinically you are OK, as well as your lab tests. To me, you may not have had lupus”.

Was I wrongly diagnosed with lupus or was I healed? I feel I have lupus but it is well controlled, not by medical interventions but through praying and propagating the Rosary. Lupus has taught me to value life and family, embrace my cross and believe in God’s love and mercy.

At present, I work as a registered nurse, and I take each day as an opportunity to bring God’s healing, wherever I go… despite having lupus.