Blessed Chiara Badano (1971-1990) was a young law woman in the Diocese of Aqui Terme, Italy. She was the daughter of Ruggero Badano, a truck driver, and Maria Teresa Caviglia. She was a happy, kind and pious girl, who at first wanted to be a flight attendant.
She became a member of the Focolare Movement at the age of nine and at the age of 16 she began to be drawn to religious life. Not long after this, she was diagnosed with cancer in her shoulder. Chiara insisted that she could become a missionary, but the cancer spread quickly, affecting her spine, and she lost the use of her legs. She finally accepted her condition in life and spend her remaining time praying and being supportive of her family and friends. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010 and her feast day is October 7.
