Middle School Boy Determined to Find the Answer to Beating Cancer


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Most middle school boys are concerned with playing sports after school, playing video games, or taking up new hobbies in their spare time. Well, one middle school boy in Atlanta, Georgia, does all of this, and more. One hobby of his is a bit extraordinary: searching for a way to fight cancer.

After 12-year-old Stephen Litt became aware of two family friends being diagnosed with breast cancer, he decided to do something about it. He began researching and found that decreased rates of the disease in Japan might be due to certain antioxidants found in green tea. Stephen wanted to test this theory and see if these antioxidants could ward off cancer cells in planaria (worms) since they are known to have stem cells that mimic cancerous cells.

Stephen and his father purchased the necessary materials for the project and began conducting scientific experiments in search of their answer. He used experimental and controlled groups of planaria in his research and studied the results under a microscope that his grandparents gave him.

His findings showed that there might actually be a link between the green tea antioxidants and fighting cancerous cells. Stephen went on to win local and state competitions with his science project and was invited to tour a real research lab at Tuft University shortly after. In the future, he would like to transplant human cancerous cells into the planaria to see if the green tea antioxidants will have the same effect. To read the full CNN story on Stephen and his work, click here.

Who knows what the future has in store for this remarkable young man! We had to share his story because wanting to help others in such a major way, and at such a young age, is a very special thing. We tip our hats to you, Stephen, and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. With bright minds like these popping up in the younger generation, we can certainly hope that finding the cure for cancer is not too far away!

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Charmane’s Journey


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Charmane M. Vaiasanisi is a talented songwriter, composer, and writer who has long been an advocate of holistic teachings and practices.  She was at one time an assistant kindergarten teacher at Rose Rock School in Oklahoma, which is a Waldorf education center.  For those unaware, Waldorf schooling balances academic subjects with artistic and hands-on activities in an effort to allow the children to get to know themselves and the world in a deeply personal way.  Children are encouraged to explore their artistic talents and passions to obtain deeper meaning and enrichment throughout their childhood and into their adulthood.  As Charmane is such a naturally artistic individual herself, she was happy to work somewhere that encouraged young souls to discover their own talents.  She says that “each child is growing into someone who is nothing less than a developing miracle who will never come again”.

  
 

During her time as an assistant teacher at the school, she began to notice that her health was declining. She hadn’t felt well for an entire year.  She had been through a recent breakup, though, and didn’t think much of an actual, physical ailment.  In May of 2014, she decided to quit her job and planned to start substituting in the fall after having some time to regain her health.  It wasn’t long after she started back with substituting that life threw her a major curve ball.

  
 

In November 2014, Charmane was enjoying lunch at a local restaurant when she experienced a seizure.  She was taken by ambulance to the ER and was eventually diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Though she now had an explanation for her fatigue and not feeling well, the news devastated her and she grieved for the hope that she had in pursuing a life-long career at the school.  This was the first job that made food stamps unnecessary.  It was a job would allow her to stand strong on her own two feet as a single mom.  She was eager to provide a better life and home for her fifteen-year-old son, and to start anew in something that she loved.  Her dreams came crashing down around her and she was forced to face the reality of a serious illness.  She stopped working.  She lost her license due to the seizure and still to this day has to rely on transportation from friends.

  
 

After her brain tumor diagnosis, Charmane worked steadily to clean up her diet.  She spent hours upon hours researching in books and on internet sites, searching for ways to heal and to make her life as natural as possible.  She went on a ketogenic diet, then full GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome), which is a diet that is intended to heal and normalize the gut.  She spent ten months seizure-free.  In September 2015, however, she was hit with another seizure.  This time she recovered faster than she did with the initial one and decided to begin supplements in addition to her GAPS diet. In February she had yet another seizure followed by a string of several more within a few days time span in May. She underwent surgery and most of her right frontal lobe was removed due to damage caused by cancer. Conventional chemotherapy and radiation were recommended, but Charmane is not one to settle for conventional nor did she want to risk harmful exposure and poisoning her body, so she looked into other treatment plans. She finally decided on visiting the Northern Baja Gerson Center in Mexico, which can be seen in a documentary The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest, hosted by Ty Bollinger.

  
 

The center is modeled after Max Gerson’s protocol which involves juicing and supplements for healing. As Charmane had some prior experience with juicing and saw amazing results when she tried it, she knew intuitively that this was the best route for her.  That is not to say that it was easy, though, and her son had to move in with his father while she focused on her health.

  
 

Her new regimen consisted of organic fruits and vegetable juices, organic coffee enemas, and dietary supplements for healing, such as B-12 injections, COQ10, Selenium, and Frankincense essential oil. The first week of the Gerson lifestyle proved to be very difficult for her. The boreholes in her skull from surgery became sore, sensitive, and her scar itched like crazy. With exfoliation, she noticed grimy skin, dandruff, and loose hair clogging up her comb.  She coughed up phlegm every morning, vomited mucus, had a sore throat, and had profuse earwax for days.  Pimples broke out along the scar on her scalp.  She had a lot of fatigue, nausea, bloating, and up to five bowel movements per day in the beginning.  She had headaches, a fainting spell, and one episode of severe chills with uncontrollable teeth chattering. Despite all of these negative reactions, she says that they were over by the second week.

  
 

She has noticed positive effects from her new protocol as well.  A tooth that had been black and framed in calculus underneath due to a cavity is now completely fine with pink gums beneath it. The gray color in her teeth from Keppra, an anti-seizure medication, has also gone away. Her right eye, which had protruded ever since brain surgery, has now returned to normal and she can’t even see the scar from her surgery. Her eyes are brighter. Her lips are no longer chapped and bleeding. Her lungs feel clear and she finds it easier to inhale.  Her acne has cleared, her nails have become shiny, and she no longer needs deodorant. She says that her facial features look fuller and she doesn’t look as old and ‘beaten down’ as before. Most of her grey hair has disappeared! Even the pain and numbness in her foot and hip went away during her stay at the Northern Baja Center. See below pictures of Charmane enjoying a meal, enjoying the sun, and hanging out inside a hyperbaric oxygen tank during her time there.

  
 

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Even though the treatment is intense, Charmane says that she feels it is definitely strengthening her.  She said she felt a deep peace and relaxation while at the treatment center.  She has had no seizures since May 2016.  In December of this year, she will review the results of MRI scans with her doctor to talk about whether any cancer cells have returned and what to do from that point on.  She remains hopeful and is praying that she is all clear and continuing to heal.

  
 

When I asked Charmane to describe her experience and current outlook, she said,

  
 

“Yes, it has been a roller coaster—a roller coaster with no safety bars or seat belts.  Fear of the uncertain future has been the hardest part of all of this—a lingering shadow sewn to the bottom of my feet—there all the time, every step of the way.  I’m learning I never did know what was to come.  Cancer is teaching me to be much more present in the ‘here and now’ than I was before.”

  
 

She is unsure of where the future will take her.  She is living day by day and wondering if she will ever be able to sustain a normal life with a financially flourishing career.  She hopes to someday return to her old job or to even become a music teacher.  She is also faced with the possibility of moving in with her family in California in order to better manage the expenses that she has.

  
 

Answers for Angels is so honored to help such an amazing individual in battling this disease and the heavy financial burden that comes with it. We have awarded Charmane with a $350 gift card to Natural Grocers in Oklahoma to pay for items she needs that food stamps will not cover. 

  
 

The world is made brighter by souls like yours, Charmane.  We wish you all the best and will support you on your road to healing.

  
 

Check out Charmane’s musical page on YouTube to see her talents in action!

Healing Touch- What it is and How it Helps Children Combat Cancer


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It’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and here at Answers for Angels, we stop at nothing to ensure that children get the help they need in their battles with this terrible disease. This month, we’ll talk about another alternative modality that can be used to help heal your child.

In 1989, registered nurse Janet Mentgen founded a type of energy therapy called “Healing Touch”. In this therapy, practitioners use their hands and intent to influence the energy field and promote healing in the patient.

Healing Touch uses light touch or near-body touch, meaning they don’t actually have to make contact in order to shift your energy to flow more effectively. Since our energy fields go beyond our skin, they are able to achieve the same effect in moving energy around as they would by actually touching you.

This type of therapy is used to help restore or recharge energy that has been lost due to physical and mental conditions or illness. This can be from stress, injury, dietary issues, trauma, grief, surgery, or diseases such as cancer.

Traditional treatment for cancer such as radiation and chemotherapy can absolutely drain the patient, as many are known to experience extreme exhaustion and general feelings of not being well. This is in part due to one’s energy being heavily manipulated during those treatments and in the theory of Healing Touch, would need to be corrected by an energy healing practitioner.

The use of Healing Touch has grown rapidly in recent years. Many hospitals and other health facilities have incorporated Healing Touch programs due to its success with patients and the positive reviews that are received afterward. Many have claimed that because of Healing Touch, they have experienced less pain, less fatigue, less anxiety, less depression, lower stress, improved sleep, improved sense of calmness, a more profound spiritual connection, and faster recovery. One study found that those who participated in Healing Touch actually had an improved immune response. They had less toxicity to cells within the immune system aka “natural killer cells”, which play a major role in fighting cancer (Eldridge).

Dr. Weil of the University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Clinic recommends energy therapies as he believes that the value of such modalities have been proven beyond refutation. It’s a perfect alternative approach for those following holistic and traditional treatments alike. In either case, there’s a very good chance that it will benefit you in some way.

In a general healing touch session, the patient will sit or lie down (fully clothed) while the practitioner passes their hands over your body somewhere in the range of 2-6 inches from your skin. Once the practitioner assesses the current state of your energy field, they will then begin a systematic process of clearing, balancing, and re-balancing the energy until it is flowing in an efficient, harmonious way. It is a very relaxing experience and some may even fall asleep during the process. At the end, the practitioner grounds you and will encourage you to remain sitting or lying down for a few minutes until you feel comfortable getting up. This is an incredibly noninvasive, gentle, and calming method of treatment.

Check out this video to see how healing touch helps children with Autism and cancer.

If you are interested in implementing healing touch into your child’s treatment plan, research local facilities in your area to find which ones offer this amazing program.

Let the Healing Touch help your child!

 

Sources:

Eldridge, Lynn MD. “Healing Touch for Cancer”. Updated July 16, 2016. https://www.verywell.com/healing-touch-for-cancer-2248958. Accessed August 3, 2016.

“Healing Touch”. Wake Health. Updated July 5, 2016. http://www.wakehealth.edu/Center-for-Integrative-Medicine/Specialty-Services/Healing-Touch.htm. Accessed August 3, 2016.

“Healing Touch”. WEIL. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03116/Healing-Touch.html. Accessed August 3, 2016.

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Kicking Cancer’s Butt


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We have all heard that “Mind Over Matter” is a great phrase to remember while getting through tough times. Well these days, that theory is based in scientific fact. In 2014, Canadian researchers published a study that documented the overall benefits of using meditation in Cancer treatment. Those who used the practice had higher levels of telomeres than those who did not.

Telomeres are protein caps at the end of our chromosomes. The shortening of these chromosomes correlates with an increased Cancer risk. Therefore, the more you have, the better. Those who did not participate in the meditation in the study had lowering numbers of Telomeres. Interesting, right?

The mind is a powerful thing, and that’s why in the most difficult battle of our life, you should learn to utilize it. You’re not only soothing your mentality and soul with meditation, but as we now know, you’re also healing your physical body. The body works best when it’s working with the mind. The more connected you feel to yourself and to your inner strength and peace, the more your body feels it.

Here are a few other benefits to practicing meditation:

  • Increased awareness, including self-awareness
  • Improvement in emotions
  • Improvement in focus
  • Improvement in relaxation
  • Improvement in anxiety
  • Improvement in relationships (with self and others)
  • Improvement in confidence
  • Improvement in pain management
  • Increase in meaning and peace in your life

At the end of the day, you have two options when dealing with this fight. You can let the fight overcome you, or you can put your foot down and say that you will try. Whether you are trying meditation, trying positive affirmations, or simply trying to think positively, you are trying. With trying, you have already won.

If you or someone that you love is interested in giving meditation a try, here are several online links where you can listen along:

Cancer Healing Visualization/Guided Meditation

Healing Cancer Guided Meditation

Cancer Wellness Meditation

A few others can be found at:

https://www.doyogawithme.com/content/guided-meditations-help-fight-cancer

Thank you for reading and please take a moment to check out our website at http://answersforangels.com/ to see how we help Cancer patients fight their battles. If you know anyone who needs help, please direct them to us. You’re not in this fight alone!

You can also find us on our Facebook Page.

 

Article Sources:

Macdonald, Fiona. “World-first evidence suggests that meditation alters cancer survivors’ cells”. Science Alert. http://www.sciencealert.com/world-first-evidence-suggests-that-meditation-alters-cancer-survivors-cells. Accessed 6/27/2016.

Linda E. Carlson PhD, Tara L. Beattie PhD, Janine Giese-Davis PhD, Peter Faris PhD, Rie Tamagawa PhD, Laura J. Fick PhD, Erin S. Degelman MS, and Michael Speca PsyD. “Mindfulness-based cancer recovery and supportive-expressive therapy maintain telomere length relative to controls in distressed breast cancer survivors”. Wiley Online Library. Published November 3, 2014. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.29063/full. Accessed 6/27/2016.

Dr Tomislav Meštrović, MD, PhD. “Telomeres and Cancer”. News Medical. Published November 19, 2015. http://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/Telomeres-and-Cancer.aspx. Accessed 6/27/2016.

Penny Widmaier, RN. How meditation can benefit cancer patients”. Botsford Hospital. Published December 19, 2011. http://www.botsford.org/blog/index.php/2011/12/19/how-meditation-can-benefit-cancer-patients/. Accessed 6/27/2016.