Voice Recovered (Ana Maria Aragon)
Recovering Her Voice
Excerpted from LOS MILAGROS O FAVORES DE NUESTRA MADRE DE GARABANDAL by Maria Josefa Villa de Gallego. Translated from Spanish by Dr. Edward Serrano.
On December 8, 1979, after a severe cold, I lost my voice, which became a chronic problem. I saw several doctors all to no avail. I felt like an invalid: I couldn’t answer the phone, and when I went shopping, I had to carry a pad and pen with me.
You cannot imagine what it’s like not to be able to speak. Sometimes I forgot and forced myself to speak very softly, but as this strained my voice chords, I taped my mouth shut, only removing the tape to eat.
In August of 1982, after two and a half long years had gone by, it was decided that I needed an operation on my vocal chords to remove nodules that were preventing me from being able to speak. My brother, a physician, suggested that I wait until he returned from his vacation before proceeding with the surgery so I followed his advice.
Meanwhile, after coming out of Mass one day, I met me friend Paquita Manueco who seeing me in my condition, felt sorry for me and gave me a medal that had been kissed by the Virgin at Garabandal. I took the medal, and with great affection, put it around my neck while saying mentally to the Virgin, “I won’t take it off until you cure me.” Since I couldn’t say goodbye to Paquita, I gave her a hug.
When I got back home, I could speak! — and I have been able to speak ever since! Now, as an act of thanksgiving, I always wear the medal.
When this happened to me, I gave my testimony to the Bishop of Santander.
Signed: Ana Maria Aragon
Valladolid, Spain, August 5, 1988
Reprinted with kind permission from GARABANDAL JOURNAL November -December 2004
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