Alternative medicine in a Western Society | By Naima Clark

The story of James and Mary’s granddaughter is powerful and moving to all of us. They were told by doctors that their granddaughter would never speak and would have to use sign language for the rest of her life. 

James and Mary both talked about their passion for prayer, faith, and medicine which led them to help their non-verbal granddaughter to find her voice.  

This stuck with me because both my parents are doctors and I have been around allopathic medicine all my life. Growing up surrounded by a practical and scientific approach to health, it’s easy to believe that this is the only way of healing. That is the type of medicine I believed in.

Being raised by two doctors had a strong influence on my life. I felt so fortunate to have parents who knew exactly what to do if I got sick or hurt.  I never had to worry.  I had not thought of the role of spiritual healing until after hearing the way it successfully impacted James and Mary’s lives. 

Hearing stories like this can open one’s mind to the possibility of other healing methods, like spiritual or emotional practices. 

James says, “Then that's the faith inside of your heart. That's what. You build it, no matter how far it is, you go there. That's faith there.”  

Their story has allowed me to look through a different lens of medicine and see the success it is capable of. 

After their granddaughter’s first words, "What are you guys laughing about?", her world took a turn for the good. Their granddaughter’s transformation, from being told she would never speak again to thriving in school and life, is nothing short of inspiring. 

Her story is a reminder to us that anything is possible even when we are told there is no hope. James later told an equally moving and inspiring story of a woman who came to him searching for help with cancer. 

The idea that a prayer, a moment of faith, can touch someone so deeply that it leads to healing, is incredibly powerful. They prayed and prayed for this woman in hopes that she would heal. 

James said, “ I thought, you know, something was happening. I guess it hit her — a prayer hit her right in there where it was hurting.” And now she is cancer-free. 

This is an extraordinary example of how healing can happen in ways that aren’t always explained by conventional medicine but are equally transformative. This has reminded me that there are different ways to approach health and medicine and that being open-minded about various methods can lead to a more holistic view of wellness. 

I am grateful for how James' stories have shifted my perspectives and have shown me a deeper understanding of the ways of medicine.

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