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Vittorio Micheli was born in Italy on February 6th 1940. In 1961, Vittorio, aged 21, enlisted in the Italian army. In March 1962, he began to experience severe pain in his left hip. On April 16th, 1962, he was admitted to Verona Military hospital. The prognosis was very bad.
Hospital records show that he was complaining of severe pain in his left ischium; that is the portion of the hip bone and pelvis that one rests on when sitting. The pain went up into his back and down his left thigh, and at times down the entire left leg.
Examination revealed a large mass or tumour deeply set in the left iliac area; that is in the uppermost of the three sections of the hipbone. There was also shortening of the left leg and very little mobility in the left hip. The tumour was soft and was spreading outwards with no defined boundaries; in other words it was clearly malignant. The doctors call it a sarcoma. X-Rays taken a month later on May 22nd 1962 revealed that the hip bone was disintegrating.
When cancer causes the mineral salts to leave the bone, the bone begins to dissolve. The X-Ray revealed the ilium, that is the uppermost section of the hip bone, to have been almost gone, together with the acetabulumor, that is the roof of the socket into which the leg bone fits.
On May 29th 1962 a biopsy was carried out under general anaesthetic. They made an incision right into the hip. This revealed that not just the bone but also the muscles were in a bad way. Sections of the gluteal muscle, that is the muscle that goes up from the hip into the buttocks, had dissolved and had been replaced by the tumour. Tests on the samples taken during the biopsy proved that the muscle had indeed been replaced by malignant cancer cells. Tests on the bone fragments showed "trabecular necrosis"; that is that the bone had completely perished.
The cancer wasn't considered treatable. But a hip to foot plaster cast was fitted to stabilise his leg, so that he could walk with crutches.
Further X-Rays were taken on July 18th, 1962. The hospital records give the findings:- "Nearly complete destruction of the left hemi-pelvis, only part of the ilio-pubic line and the superior third of the ilium remain." In other words the sections of the pelvis
into which the left leg bone fit had disintegrated. The X-Ray also showed osteoporosis of the femur or leg bone itself, and of the knee. On August 1 st 1962 he was transferred to a cancer hospital to see if Radiotherapy was an option. But after just three days he was discharged on the basis that he was beyond treatment.
The bones and muscles in his hip continued to perish and the cancer to grow. By January 12th 1963, "The femur has lost all connection with the pelvis and is completely dislocated." The record of April 1st 1963 includes, "The pain increases at the level of the left hip radiating towards the knee." Faced with the ongoing deterioration in his condition, Vittorio now desired to go to Lourdes, and to seek the blessing of Our Blessed Mother. He was in Lourdes from May 24th to June 6th 1963. In Lourdes, he lay on a stretcher. He was in so much pain that he had to be sedated. He had no appetite and he had a sense that his left leg was no longer attached to his body. In reality his leg was only attached to his body by flesh and skin. The bone and muscle were gone.
He was taken to the baths on the stretcher and immersed into the water with the plaster cast still on his leg.
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