Father Ioan Moga of the Romanian Orthodox Church “Saint Anthony” in Vienna wrote on Facebook about what he described as miracles he witnessed at the Neonatology Department of the AKH Hospital: two premature baby girls — one weighing only 460g and the other 800g — survived thanks to divine providence and modern medical technology.
The priest baptised the babies urgently, aware that the chances of survival were low, especially for the smallest one.
“In a frail atmosphere of peace that prevailed in the incubator room, together with the two exhausted and anxious mothers, yet full of hope, I baptised the two little girls: Melissa Elena and Anastasia Maria,” Father Ioan Moga wrote.
“In my 20 years of priesthood, I have performed many emergency baptisms, and I have seen the tragedy of parents losing their newborns. But to see a baby weighing 460 grams survive and remain fully healthy — that I had not experienced before,” the parish priest said.
“This fragility teaches us much about the mystery of life. Because beyond the impressive medical technology and the attention and skill of the medical staff, our greatest hope is in God.”
After months in the hospital, the girls were discharged safely, and on Saturday, 1 November, the priest administered the Mystery of Chrismation to them.
“This is an example of those small great miracles we receive as a gift, although we do not recognise most of them. Small, because they seem insignificant, unspectacular. Great, because in them we discover all the power and mercy of God,” Father Ioan Moga said.
Alexandra Nadane of the Romania for Life Association reshared the post, adding that in Romania, perhaps the same efforts might not have been made to save the lighter of the two babies.
Alongside divine providence, solidarity is also needed towards the most vulnerable among us: “For those who seek solutions, even 460 grams can be enough to show how important it is to help every child live,” she wrote.
The lower limit of neonatal viability is 750 grams, below which it is almost certain that the baby will not survive, medichub.ro notes.
However, the overall survival rate of premature babies continues to rise — most likely due to advances in medical technology.
Photo: Facebook / Parohia Ortodoxă „Sf. Antonie” Viena
