Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/507057
SUMMER 20 15 | C A NCER FIGH T ER S T HR I V E 47 C A NCERFIGHTER S THRI V E .COM "No matter how nonreligious people currently are, I never deny them a chance of prayer," says Rabbi Rosenberg, who works with the Pastoral Care Team at CTCA in Goodyear, Arizona. "I usually touch them as I pray in Hebrew and will translate if needed. One of the common prayers is 'He who blessed our ancestors, may He give them a full healing among us and bring them back to full function.'" Although the rabbi sees people at all stages in the cancer journey, he vividly remembers the times when his presence is requested during the fnal hours of someone's life. One 80-year-old woman was in the end stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma when she asked for Rabbi Rosenberg. When doctors learned that he had to arrange a fight to see her and would arrive in 24 hours, they explained to her husband that there was little chance she would still be alive. Much to everyone's surprise, she held on until his arrival. "When I got to her bedside, I told her I was there and took her hand," Rabbi Rosenberg says. "She opened her eyes, and she thanked me, and then she closed her eyes. At the transition between life and death, everyone has to get up on the diving board and then they have to jump of. My job is to walk with them and do anything I can to help them do that with the least amount of sufering." Spiritual Support for Beliefs Jim Hardin, a member of the Jehovah's Witness Patient Visitation Group, ofen visits with patients undergoing treatment at CTCA in Newnan, Georgia. Hardin says that serving patients in this setting can provide spiritual solace and support at a time of great need. "Te Bible and prayer are important for providing support for these patients, family members and caregivers," Hardin explains. "To help them cope with the anxiety caused by illness, I ofen turn to verses in Philippians, which state that the peace of God will guard LEADING THE LEADERS Training in cancer ministry helps faith leaders meet the needs of their communities. It may seem like a fair assumption that faith leaders within a community would intuitively know how to provide spiritual support to patients dealing with cancer, but Rev. Homer Walker, a Baptist minister in Hammond, Indiana, thought otherwise. When a half dozen people in his congregation were diagnosed with cancer within 18 months, he faced the reality that he needed more training. In response Rev. Walker and several other members of Living Water Missionary Baptist Church participated in the Our Journey of Hope (OJOH) training program created by CTCA. During a two-day immersion experience at CTCA in Zion, they learned the basics of cancer and how to create a cancer care ministry at their church. They are now using OJOH curriculum materials to train a dozen others from the church during bimonthly classes. "We cover what cancer is and how it afects the patient, the family and the entire community," Rev. Walker says. "We learn about the importance of making sure caregivers are supported, how to visit a person without asking too many questions, how to stay positive and keep visits short to avoid wearing out the patients." Rev. Walker also learned how to use scripture from the Bible to bring God into conversations and which parts of the Bible address the topic of sickness. As a result of the training, the church plans to do the following: • Start support groups for patients and family members facing cancer • Host a breakfast for families dealing with cancer to share news about workshops and seminars for those in this situation • Ofer classes to nearby churches interested in starting a cancer care ministry