From Totus Tuus page: "Meet Blessed Chiara Luce Badano—the radiant Italian teenager who turned her terminal bone cancer into a beautiful offering of love for others. An athletic, joyful girl who loved tennis, the mountains, and the beach… until a shocking diagnosis at 16 changed everything. During a tennis match, severe shoulder pain led to tests that revealed osteosarcoma—a rare and aggressive bone cancer. Her response was not despair, but total surrender: “If Jesus wants it, I want it too.” She didn’t just accept her suffering—she embraced it. Chiara offered every wave of pain to Jesus, uniting it with His Cross. She even refused stronger doses of morphine so she could stay fully lucid and continue offering her sacrifice. When her hair fell out, she joyfully gave it to Jesus as another gift. In the hospital, she became a light to everyone around her—comforting other patients, bringing smiles, and radiating peace. On October 7, 1990 (the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary), at just 18 years old, she passed peacefully into eternity. Her last words to her mother were: “Mamma, be happy, because I am happy!” In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI beatified her at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome. Today, Blessed Chiara “Luce” (Light) continues to inspire millions of young people worldwide to say “yes” to God even in the hardest moments. Her short life proves that no suffering is wasted when it is offered with love. Have you ever offered your pain, struggles, or sacrifices to Jesus for someone else? What does “If Jesus wants it, I want it too” speak to you today?"
