Westchester Girl With Spina Bifida Thrilled After Blessing By Pope Francis

YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A disabled Westchester teen was sharing her incredible story Sunday, after getting a surprise blessing from Pope Francis during his time in New York.

As CBS2's Ilana Gold reported for TV 10/55, Stephanie Gabaud, 17, said meeting Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral Thursday night was "absolutely amazing."

Her surprise encounter with Pope Francis was caught on camera. He walked right up to her before the Thursday night service and gave her a hug, a kiss and a blessing.

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"He said something to me in Spanish, but I couldn't quite understand what he was saying," Gabaud said, adding that she replied, "Bless you" to Pope Francis in Spanish herself.

Gabaud said meeting Pope Francis had been her dream for the last year.

"I burst into tears," she said. "I was tearing up, like crying," she said.

Gabaud has spina bifida, and has lost feeling from her waist down. She just had her fourth back surgery, and her stitches came out on Tuesday.

She questioned if she could even make it to Manhattan and get a glimpse of Pope Francis.

"I had to get this blessing," she said. "I couldn't not get this blessing."

Gabaud has been living at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Unit in Yonkers since October. She hopes her blessing will help her heal and go back to her home in White Plains.

She said she would like to go home "just to see my family to be with my family again."

Gabaud said she also wants to live a healthy life, and greatly appreciates the pope's gesture. She said she is confident the blessing will make a difference.