<p>Life’s tribulations can get extremely harsh, when confronted by a deadly disease. The most dreaded of them all, cancer, still mystifies oncologists and scientists, with an unchanged reputation, mentioned in a 19th Century Surgeons text, as the ‘king of terrors’ and ‘Emperor of all maladies”. 4th February is observed as ‘International Cancer day’, for the prevention, detection, and treatment of this disease, which has become a major global threat. </p>.<p>Many survivors, especially those battling the last stage or the 4th stage of certain types of cancer, eagerly crave for emotional and spiritual support from the medical system, family and friends to overcome the fear and trauma of an imminent death. But the availability of the right support remains a challenge. With limited options, many survivors turn to the almighty as a way of finding comfort, peace and with the hope of a miracle.</p>.<p>Research studies have shown that spirituality and faith in God have resulted in better outcomes and improved quality of life for cancer survivors. Prayers, meditation, religious rituals, reading and drawing inspiration from scriptures, spiritual counselling and listening to live testimonies shared by those miraculously healed can instil hope and confidence in the survivors to effectively manage their emotional health.</p>.<p>Faith fosters stronger bonds with family and friends through shared activities like visits to places of worship, undertaking pilgrimage and fellowship prayers. The relationship with doctors and other medical staff also improves as some survivors perceive that the medical teams and care givers are being guided by God’s intervention.</p>.<p>Faith in God helps cancer survivors to find a purpose even during harrowing circumstances. This can help lowering emotional stress and better coping mechanisms.</p>.<p>A dreaded disease like cancer can bring a person closer towards building a new relationship with God. Faith in these testing times acts like a catalyst to build emotional resilience, spiritual growth and transformation and most importantly an ability to create wellbeing for oneself in the present moment. It builds a proactive attitude of accepting life’s uncertainties and coping with adversity in the best manner, whatever may be the outcome. </p>
<p>Life’s tribulations can get extremely harsh, when confronted by a deadly disease. The most dreaded of them all, cancer, still mystifies oncologists and scientists, with an unchanged reputation, mentioned in a 19th Century Surgeons text, as the ‘king of terrors’ and ‘Emperor of all maladies”. 4th February is observed as ‘International Cancer day’, for the prevention, detection, and treatment of this disease, which has become a major global threat. </p>.<p>Many survivors, especially those battling the last stage or the 4th stage of certain types of cancer, eagerly crave for emotional and spiritual support from the medical system, family and friends to overcome the fear and trauma of an imminent death. But the availability of the right support remains a challenge. With limited options, many survivors turn to the almighty as a way of finding comfort, peace and with the hope of a miracle.</p>.<p>Research studies have shown that spirituality and faith in God have resulted in better outcomes and improved quality of life for cancer survivors. Prayers, meditation, religious rituals, reading and drawing inspiration from scriptures, spiritual counselling and listening to live testimonies shared by those miraculously healed can instil hope and confidence in the survivors to effectively manage their emotional health.</p>.<p>Faith fosters stronger bonds with family and friends through shared activities like visits to places of worship, undertaking pilgrimage and fellowship prayers. The relationship with doctors and other medical staff also improves as some survivors perceive that the medical teams and care givers are being guided by God’s intervention.</p>.<p>Faith in God helps cancer survivors to find a purpose even during harrowing circumstances. This can help lowering emotional stress and better coping mechanisms.</p>.<p>A dreaded disease like cancer can bring a person closer towards building a new relationship with God. Faith in these testing times acts like a catalyst to build emotional resilience, spiritual growth and transformation and most importantly an ability to create wellbeing for oneself in the present moment. It builds a proactive attitude of accepting life’s uncertainties and coping with adversity in the best manner, whatever may be the outcome. </p>