By Wendy Royston
A young family recently celebrated the first anniversary of what doctors describe as a birth-day miracle.
“I don’t use that term loosely. I’ve been in medicine a long time, and we see things that we don’t have an explanation for that seem so far outside the ordinary,” explained Dr. Bill Waltz, a cardiologist at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Wyatt and Andrea Artz welcomed their third baby girl, Catherine Elaine, at an Ortonville, Minnesota, hospital on March 4, 2025, during a fierce blizzard. The pregnancy and delivery had been uneventful, allowing the couple to cherish their newest daughter for eight precious minutes. However, the atmosphere took a dramatic turn when a nurse asked about weighing and measuring Catherine.
Across the room, Catherine began to turn blue, indicating that her little body was struggling to breathe for the first time. The delivery team swiftly took action, placing an oxygen mask on her face while also attempting to draw labs from her tiny veins. An airplane was called to transport her to a larger hospital equipped for neonatal crises, yet due to dangerous weather conditions, the flight was delayed, and the family faced a haunting 12-hour wait for transport. During this agonizing time, prayers ascended from across South Dakota and beyond.
The following morning, on Ash Wednesday, an airplane finally landed, allowing Catherine to be taken to Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls. The young parents quickly followed, entering the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to face what would become their most trying experience during Lent, paralleling the Blessed Mother’s own agony seeing her child suffer.
Living on Prayer
Catherine was placed on a ventilator and received over 30 medications. She suffered from pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular hypoplasia caused by a premature patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure—a medical anomaly where a crucial fetal blood vessel closes too early. Because of this, her body was unable to process oxygen effectively, and her heart worked overtime, thickening the muscle and impacting blood flow to her lungs.
“Once she didn’t have mom’s support to stay alive, she started to decline,” Dr. Waltz noted. “Catherine was exceedingly ill as a newborn, and survival was uncertain.”
While this condition is rare, Dr. Waltz mentioned that he had encountered a few cases in his 40-year career, as children often travel vast distances for specialized care.
As prayer warriors united for the Artzes’ youngest daughter, invoking the intercession of Blessed Clare Bosatta, the Sanford team tried numerous interventions, though most were not successfully reversing Catherine’s decline. On March 6, she was connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine—a complex device used for heart and lung bypass that removes blood from the body, cleanses it, enriches it with oxygen, and then returns it.
Dr. Waltz expressed hope that if Catherine could recover quickly, she might be removed from ECMO without complications. But Catherine proved “stubborn,” requiring 13 days on the machine, monitored closely by her medical team as they aimed to prevent any complications such as blood clots or brain bleeds.
After being taken off ECMO on March 19, Catherine was still dependent on a ventilator and various medications. Two days later, while father Wyatt battled strep throat, Catherine developed a fever from a urinary tract infection (UTI). The doctors urged Wyatt to return to the hospital, emphasizing that if he wanted to see his daughter alive, his presence was critical.
The couple prayed a Rosary by Catherine’s isolette, willing life into their child. Soon after completing the Rosary, her oxygen levels increased, prompting the doctors to encourage them to get some rest in a quieter room.
In a moment of despair, Andrea whispered a selfless prayer asking God to end her daughter’s suffering, expressing that the situation was beyond her control. Instantly, she felt an overwhelming peace, sensing the Holy Spirit’s presence and hearing a reassuring message from God: “She’ll get better—you just have to have faith.”
Andrea later reflected that this divine reassurance was a timely reminder, as she had initially struggled with anger towards God.
By the next morning, signs of improvement emerged. Catherine began to come off her medications, and about a week later, the miracle began to manifest.
Following Divine Prompting
With both families deeply rooted in their Catholic faith, Catherine was surrounded by prayers from the outset. Andrea’s family, known for their devotion, called upon Blessed Clare Bosatta for support during their granddaughter’s medical crisis. Grandma Tammy Artz of Aberdeen and friends actively participated in virtual prayer sessions during Catherine’s illness.
During one prayer session, Wyatt joined them, praying the Litany of the Child Jesus alongside voices seeking intercession. Following the session, the couple felt a pressing desire to be close to the Eucharist with Catherine.
On March 26, just a week after being removed from ECMO, a priest arrived unexpectedly to bring the Eucharist to the family. Catherine, who had been stable yet unwell, began showing marked improvement daily after this visit.
“The Eucharist seems to have made all the difference in her condition,” Andrea noted, expressing hope that Catherine’s extraordinary case might be explored as a potential miracle.
Dr. Waltz, though not Catholic, acknowledged the remarkable nature of Catherine’s recovery, attributing it in part to the power of prayer.
“I was not the only one praying for her,” he emphasized. “Multiple people supported her, and where two or more gather in His name, He is there.”
God Healed Her
While Dr. Waltz and his team worked diligently to save Catherine, he was adamant that they cannot claim credit for the miracle of her recovery.
“I don’t use the term ‘miracle’ loosely,” he reiterated. “I’ve seen the other side of these situations too often. For a child to survive 13 days on ECMO without complications is nothing short of a blessing.”
Although Dr. Waltz initially anticipated potential brain injury or developmental delays due to Catherine’s condition, brain scans showed no immediate concerns, and she is currently developing normally for her age.
With a journey of 107 days in the NICU behind her, Catherine met her big sisters for the first time at nearly three months old and returned home on June 18. While she initially struggled with feedings and medication withdrawal, she is now thriving without a feeding tube, enjoying a slower pace of life with her family in Gann Valley.
The family joyfully welcomed their fourth daughter just three days after Catherine’s first birthday. Andrea reflected on the challenges of another pregnancy so soon, reminding her once again of her reliance on faith.
“Taking her home was such a blessing, a breath of fresh air,” Andrea expressed, overflowing with gratitude for the beautiful children God has entrusted to them.
Dr. Waltz’s account of Catherine’s story echoes a universal sentiment: hope. “God is alive and well in our lives if we allow Him to be,” he stated. “When those who care pray, God listens.”
For Andrea, the experience has deepened her belief in the transformative power of prayer. “During the hardest times, I questioned the impact of prayers,” she confessed. “Now, we know it takes time, and that God’s timing is perfect.”
