St. Luke the Surgeon, Archbishop of Simferopol (source)
"My name is E. X., 37 years old, from Morphou, now a citizen of Lemesou [Cyprus]. I work as a stewardess and a teacher of Italian. On Sunday June 28th 2008, I awoke early and felt a little weak. I had a slight fever, and I decided to go to the Polyclinic, so that they might do some tests and that I might get over this fast, because I had planned a trip to St. Marina on Andros with my mother.
On Monday June 29th, I did not feel better, and I decided to go again to the Polyclinic, because the date of the trip was approaching, and I was not improving. In the Polyclinic, my doctor was also my mother's doctor. He ran some tests, but did not find anything, other than a slight fever and the weakness that I was feeling.
Thus, for precautionary reasons, he decided to keep me in the Polyclinic, despite my denial. I told him: "It's not going to happen. I'm going on our planned trip, and after I can return to the hospital."
His response was negative, even though I didn't think that I had something serious, other than some low-grade fever and weakness. The next day, June 30th, my mother in law visited me and gave me a paper icon of St. Luke [the Surgeon]. I did not know who this saint was, but I put the icon under my pillow.
Wednesday July 1st, my condition worsened. They ordered a CAT scan, which showed infection in my abdomen. At the time that they were running the test, I saw very clearly that four eyes were following me. I tried to see better, to discern a face, but I couldn't. After the test, they transferred me to the ICU, but I was fighting, because I lost the icon of St. Luke. My mother-in-law gave me another, but we found the former one on my back. Thus, I kept the two, one in each hand.
On the morning of July 2nd, 2008, the infection had spread to the lungs. Thus, on Saturday, not knowing where the infection was coming from, but also not being able to fight it despite strong antibiotics (I was made into a pin-cushion [from all the tests]), they decided to operate on me.
The septicemia had progressed rapidly, and they said that by the evening, I would die. I, however, despite my worry, felt that I would get better, and I had the little icons in my hand when I went into the operating room, and I gave them to the anesthesiologist to watch over during the operation. They took out my gallbladder, which was normal, and I had fallen into a coma for three days. My state was very grave, and all were waiting for me to die. The doctors did not give any hope to my family, because the septicemia had progressed rapidly, and the lungs were not left working to breathe. However, the miracle occurred, when everything else looked as if it were finished.
On the third day, Fr. P. came, bringing with him a small piece of the [incorrupt] heart of St. Luke. He crossed me with the heart of the Saint, and I, as he told me, at that instant, opened my eyes. From that instant, my body had begun to fight the septicemia from nowhere and to progress. Ultimately, I was totally healed. For the doctors, this was unexplainable. All those who were faithful related that this was from a miracle. The rest tried to give a medical justification, but could not give an explanation.
While I was in the hospital, they brought me and I read the book with the life of St. Luke [the Surgeon] (and my physician in this case), and I felt that he had the holy Unmercenaries Sts. Kosmas and Damian as his helpers. Then I remembered and understood why I had my CAT scan on July 1st. It was the day of their feast, and they were the right hand men to St. Luke in the operating room. My sister-in-law's aunt was on that day at the Monastery of Panagia Dobra in Veria. They served Paraklesis, and the Abbot told her that St. Luke, together with the holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian, would be with me."
Fr. Nektarios Antonopoulos, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Sagmata: "Tachys eis voetheian..." ("Speedy to help..."), the miracles of St. Luke today, published by Akritas. Amateur translation of text from source.
The Holy Unmercenaries, Sts. Kosmas and Damian (source)
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
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