A Bump On The Leg presented by Subtext Theater Company at St. Bonaventure Church

This play is the biographical retelling of an event from the life of Chicago resident and Irish immigrant James Mallon. Raised in Northern Ireland, the young Jimmy Mallon was diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg. Doctors, who initially were going to proceed with amputation of the limb, opted instead for radiation treatment, which seemed to be ineffective. Facing a grim prognosis, money was raised to send young Jimmy to Our Lady of Lourdes in France, where he was bathed in the healing waters of the divine sanctuary. Returning home to Ireland, the tumor disappeared in a matter of weeks. Was it divine intercession? A delayed reaction from the cobalt treatment? A misdiagnosis? Or simply a testament to the powers of a mother's love and faith? All of these-and more--are lovingly examined in this whimsical, thought-provoking, and heartwarming new work.