New Diagnosis?
If you’re here because you’ve just heard the words “You have cancer,” we want to begin by saying that you are not alone.
No one is ever fully prepared for those three words. In a single moment, your world can pivot. If it’s a later-stage diagnosis, the ground can feel like it’s completely disappeared beneath you. You may be feeling shock, fear, confusion, even pressure to make immediate decisions. We know what it's like - we've been there.
One of the hardest parts can be how clinical everything feels. Doctors often keep emotional distance at a time when you long for comfort. We remember leaving appointments desperate for hope and direction.
So here is our gentle encouragement: take a breath. Unless you are in an immediate emergency, you usually have time to learn, pray, seek counsel, and make thoughtful decisions. Fear pushes. Wisdom pauses.
We also encourage you to let people help you. You may receive more advice than you want, but most of it comes from love. Be gracious with others. And with yourself.
Below are people and resources that have been extremely helpful to us. We hope they offer you clarity, courage, and encouragement as you begin.
There are lot us dealing with a cancer diagnosis. We believe if we all work together healing is possible.
Chris Wark
If you watched our documentary, you met Chris Wark, a stage III colon cancer survivor who turned his own healing journey into a mission to help thousands of others.
Here's a link to Chris's website, where you can watch a short introductory video and learn more about his book, Chris Beat Cancer, Questions to Ask Your Oncologist and his step-by-step program, Square One, which outlines the nutritional and natural strategies he used in his recovery.
His book was especially helpful to us in the early days of our diagnosis. We encourage you to explore his resources as you consider your next steps.
Hope4Cancer
It would be difficult for us to fully express how much Hope4Cancer shaped the foundation of our healing journey. It was not only the treatments we received and the people we met, but the mindset that transformed us. Dr. Tony Jimenez’s Seven Key Principles became a framework that reshaped how we think about healing at every level.
Here's a link to those seven principles along with a brief explanation of each. We strongly encourage you to explore them and to consider reading Dr. Tony’s book, Hope for Cancer, which was deeply impactful for us, especially in the early stages of our journey.
The Juice Lady
One of the very first recommendations we received from multiple people was simple: start juicing.
Early in our journey, we connected with Cherie Calbom, widely known as “The Juice Lady.” She is a trained nutritionist, author of more than 35 books, and her master’s thesis for her whole foods nutrition degree focused specifically on nutrition and cancer. We had the privilege of spending an afternoon with her, learning practical strategies and, of course, drinking some incredible fresh juice.
If you’re just beginning, consider getting a quality juicer and one of her books. Adding fresh, nutrient-dense juices to your daily routine is a simple but powerful step giving your body the nutritional tools to heal. Your body will thank you.
Reflections On The Lord's Prayer For People With Cancer
Ken Curtis, founder of Vision Video and the distribution company we’ve partnered with on several of our films, was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and given only months to live. Through pursuing a variety of alternative treatment paths, he lived eight more years before passing in 2011.
Before we lost Ken, he was working on a documentary about his own healing journey. Years later, we were invited by his son, Bill Curtis, President of Vision Video to create a film in his memory that would follow our healing journey. Three Words is that film.
While he was still alive, Ken also created a series of short films for cancer survivors based on Jesus’ teaching of the Lord’s Prayer. We highly recommend these thoughtful and encouraging stories as a source of spiritual strength and perspective during your journey.
Healing Strong
It was a privilege for us to interview Susie Griswold, founder of Healing Strong, and to feature this remarkable organization in our film.
From our first encounter, we were deeply impressed. Healing Strong is not just about holistic healing. It is about bringing people into authentic community centered on a relationship with God. When we attended their 10-year anniversary conference, we saw firsthand the courage, faith, and support shared among people walking through their cancer diagnosis together.
As we mention in Three Words, Kathi and I formed our own small support group early in our diagnosis, and that community has been a lifeline. If you already have that kind of support, you know the vital importance of it. If you don't, or want to grow your support network, we encourage you to explore Healing Strong. They offer small groups meeting online and in person around the world.
