Article August 17, 1998 Issue

COLLEGE STUDENT CHOOSES SPIRITUAL MEANS TO HEAL CANCER

Ian Conway

As a young teenager, I found that study of the weekly Bible Lessons in the Christian Science Quarterly and attendance at a Christian Science Sunday School were essential to me in establishing a strong spiritual foundation. The following healing brought to light the power and truth of the opening sentence of the chapter "Prayer" in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy: "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love" (p. 1).

At the beginning of my freshman year of college, I was diagnosed as having cancer. I spoke with my dad, and I agreed to fly home to Montreal, Canada, for further consultation with medical specialists. Following several extensive medical tests, the diagnosis was confirmed. For a couple of months I was under different forms of medical treatment, which I did not enjoy. Then I made the decision to turn wholeheartedly to Christian Science. Because I am the only student of Christian Science in my family, I was concerned as to how my decision would be received. For myself, I had depended on Christian Science for healing since I was a young teenager, and I knew from experience that this method of treatment was effective.

When I told my family that I planned to rely on Christian Science and stop the medical treatment, the news was met with intense resistance. As a result of this decision, several days later a court order was issued stating that I was possibly mentally unbalanced and needed to be evaluated by at least two psychiatrists. I was placed in a psychiatric ward at a downtown hospital. I telephoned a Christian Science practitioner and asked for her prayerful support, which she willingly gave. I let her know what had happened up to that point, and she reaffirmed my conviction that God is always in complete control of His creation and that I could never be outside of His tender care.

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