Your Health: A Sacred Matter
Your Health: A Sacred Matter
Special | 1h 56m 17sVideo has Closed Captions
Explore how religion, spirituality and health care come together.
Explore how religion, spirituality and health care interrelate. The program weaves together compelling individual stories from doctors, patients, nurses, chaplains and caregivers who speak to the benefits of incorporating a patient's spirituality as part of a whole-patient/whole-person model of care.
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Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Your Health: A Sacred Matter is presented by your local public television station.
Your Health: A Sacred Matter
Your Health: A Sacred Matter
Special | 1h 56m 17sVideo has Closed Captions
Explore how religion, spirituality and health care interrelate. The program weaves together compelling individual stories from doctors, patients, nurses, chaplains and caregivers who speak to the benefits of incorporating a patient's spirituality as part of a whole-patient/whole-person model of care.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Your Health: A Sacred Matter
Your Health: A Sacred Matter is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
ANNOUNCER: THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF A GRANT FROM THE JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION... HARTLEY FILM FOUNDATION: WISDOM ACROSS THE AGES.
CONGREGATION: ...KINGDOM, AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY... HAROLD KOENIG: RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH.
THEY PROMOTE BOTH GREATER WELL-BEING, GREATER HAPPINESS, BETTER MENTAL HEALTH, HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES, GREATER SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND ULTIMATELY, BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH AND FASTER RECOVERY.
I GIVE A LOT OF PUBLIC TALKS ON THIS TOPIC, AND SEVERAL TIMES I'VE HAD SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE RAISE THEIR HAND AND SAY, "OK, IF I START GOING TO CHURCH, HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO GO BEFORE MY HEALTH WILL GET BETTER?"
AND OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, NOR DO I THINK THERE WILL EVER BE AN ANSWER TO THAT.
GARY FERNGREN: I'M CONVINCED THAT MEDICINE AND RELIGION INTERSECT BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE TWO DIFFERENT APPROACHES WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL IN TREATING THE SICK.
EACH OFFERS SOMETHING THAT THE OTHER CAN'T OFFER.
BUT EACH PROVIDES A WHOLE BY WHICH WE CAN APPROACH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS OF LIFE, DIFFICULT QUESTIONS OF DEALING WITH HUMAN SUFFERING.
[MAN SINGING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE] STEVEN BEGAY: FOR NAVAJOS AND NATIVES HERE AT THE GALLUP INDIAN MEDICAL CENTER, OUR VALUES ARE ON FACTS.
OUR VALUES ARE NOT ON SCIENCE.
OUR VALUES ARE ABOUT OUR SYSTEMS OF LIVING.
ANDREW NEWBERG: WHEN GOD, SCIENCE, AND HEALTH ALL COME TOGETHER IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HUMAN BRAIN, IT CAN REALLY TELL US A LOT ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
IT CAN INFORM US ABOUT HOW ALL THESE DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF HUMANITY WORK TOGETHER.
AMIR DAN RUBIN: PEOPLE ARE PAYING MORE OUT-OF-POCKET FOR HEALTHCARE.
THERE'S GREATER COINSURANCE AND DEDUCTIBLES, AND SO THAT ALSO DRIVES PEOPLE TO A MORE CONSUMERISTIC MINDSET.
AND SO THEY MIGHT SAY, "GEE, I JUST PAID A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET, "AND HE OR SHE REALLY WASN'T THAT NICE TO ME.
"YOU KNOW, USUALLY WHEN I DISH OUT A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS, I WOULD EXPECT SOMEBODY MIGHT SHOW A LITTLE MORE COMPASSION."
HERBERT BENSON: OUR CURRENT EXPENSIVE, GROSSLY EXPENSIVE, HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS OVEREMPHASIZING JUST DRUGS AND SURGERY, AND WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IF WE COULD THEN BRING TOGETHER AS A WHOLE 3-LEGGED STOOL: DRUGS, SURGERIES, AND WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OURSELVES, INCLUDING OUR OWN SPIRITUALITY?
MAN: ♪ HEAL MY BODY ♪ CONGREGATION: ♪ HEAL MY BODY ♪ DELORES FEDRICK: TO KICK-START OUR EAT FOR LIFE EFFORTS, I BEGAN TO LINE UP CHURCHES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, TELLING THEM ABOUT THE GOAL THAT WE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE IN OUR PEOPLE.
WE'RE GONNA SHOW THEM HOW TO GET HEALTHY.
WHAT DOES NUTRITION MEAN TO YOU AS A BELIEVER?
MARILYN MARTONE: I THINK FIRST OF ALL, AS A SOCIETY, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT CAREGIVING IS HARD, HARD, HARD WORK.
IT'S OVERWHELMING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS BY YOURSELF.
I THINK, SPIRITUALLY, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREGIVING.
BUT AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS... CHAPLAIN DIANA BRADY: CHAPLAINCY IS BEST DONE WHEN THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED, WHEN THERE'S SOME TRUST ESTABLISHED.
WE MOVE FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS WITH THE INTENTION AND HOPE TO BE PRESENT IN A WAY THAT HELPS PATIENTS AND FAMILIES TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE.
LIFE HAPPENS.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT.
L'CHAIM.
L'CHAIM.
YEAH, TO LIFE.
UH, FOR ALL THE PLEASURES OF LIFE.
DANIEL SULMASY: IF ALL YOU DO ALL DAY LONG IS PUT A SCOPE INTO THE RECTUM OF PERSONS THAT YOU NEVER REALLY TALK TO AT GREAT LENGTH AND CALL YOURSELF A DOCTOR, YOU--YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE WORKING IN A--A POULTRY PLANT OR SOMETHING, IF THERE'S NOTHING INTERPERSONAL, UM, ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK, UH, PHYSICIANS ARE ALSO BECOMING ALIENATED FROM THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE WHERE IT'S TREATED IN THAT KIND OF MECHANISTIC, UH, FASHION.
MY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IS BEING WITH MY PATIENTS.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE SPIRITUAL THAN THAT.
THAT'S IT.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SPIRITUALITY AS BEING PART OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT AN AMAZING REFRAMING IT WOULD BE IF INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT MEDICINE OR NURSING OR HEALTHCARE AS A BUSINESS, WE LOOK AT IT AS SOMETHING SACRED, SOMETHING SPECIAL, AS A CALLING.
WOMAN: MARK ENGERMAN, REBECCA ELLIS, MADANA ESHWAR UPA, ALICE GORBACH.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] DENNIS S. CHARNEY: THE DONNING OF THE UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED AND GLOBALLY RESPECTED WHITE COAT HAS BEEN AN ENDURING SYMBOL OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION'S COMMITMENT TO BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CARE FOR OVER 100 YEARS.
MAN: THE JOURNEY'S NOW BEGINNING, THE TRAINING TO BECOME A DOCTOR, AND IT'S REALLY, IN MY MIND, THE BEGINNING OF A-- MORE THAN A CAREER BUT REALLY A LIFELONG COMMITMENT AND PASSION.
WOMAN: IT FEELS BIG.
THIS IS THE SMALLEST SIZE THEY HAD, BUT IT'S ALMOST METAPHORICAL FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S--IT'S BIG ON ME RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING, BUT I'M TAKING THE FIRST STEP TO FILLING THIS COAT AND, LIKE, FILLING MY SHOES, PER SAY.
CHARNEY: WHATEVER MEDICAL PATH YOU CHOOSE, REMEMBER THAT MEDICINE, AT ITS HEART, IS A HUMAN ENDEAVOR, A CALLING, A MINISTRY OF HEALING.
STUDENTS: "AND IN RECOGNITION OF THE ENORMOUS PRIVILEGE OF OUR MEDICAL EDUCATION, TOGETHER WE PLEDGE TO BE HUMBLE LEADERS IN SCIENCE AND IN MEDICINE."
THE OATH THAT WE TOOK AS A GROUP OF STUDENTS DURING THE WHITE COAT CEREMONY WAS AUTHORED ACTUALLY BY THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES.
STUDENTS: "TO TREAT EACH PATIENT WITH A MODICUM OF DIGNITY "AND COMPASSION AS A HUMAN BEING, RESPECTING THEIR AUTONOMY, BELIEFS, AND CULTURE."
MAN: SO I'M A PRACTICING MUSLIM STUDENT.
THERE'S ONE QUOTE FROM MY HOLY BOOK THAT I REALLY LIKE THAT ALLOWS ME TO RECOMMIT MYSELF TO MEDICINE, AND IT IS THAT IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SERVE A SINGLE LIFE, YOU HAVE SERVED HUMANITY.
RIGHT?
SO THE IDEA THAT I WANT TO DEVOTE MYSELF TO EACH PERSON'S HEALTH WILL ALLOW ME TO MAKE A BIGGER CONTRIBUTION, IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
MY--MY RELIGION INFLUENCED ME GREATLY IN MY DECISION TO BECOME A DOCTOR.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH FAITH, AND FROM THE WAY I'VE LEARNED ABOUT JUDAISM, IT'S BECOME VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT CARING FOR OTHERS AND WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES IS A FOUNDATION OF THE RELIGION.
THESE ARE THE PILLARS AND VALUES THAT YOU ARE COMMITTED TO.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CARED ABOUT UPON ENTERING THAT SCHOOL.
STUDENTS: "WE PLEDGE TO REMEMBER EACH DAY WHY WE CHOSE TO BECOME PHYSICIANS, "TO KEEP THIS OATH AS A REMINDER OF OUR INITIAL MOTIVATION AND ONGOING COMMITMENT."
DOCTOR: CONGRATULATIONS.
[APPLAUSE] SULMASY: EVERY JULY, UM, I'M ON SERVICE IN THE--THE HOSPITAL, AND I'VE DONE THIS FOR MANY YEARS.
I LIKE TO BE THE ATTENDING IN, UH, JULY BECAUSE IT'S WHEN THE NEW INTERNS AND THE RESIDENTS FIRST START AND NEW MEDICAL STUDENTS, UH, FIRST COME ON THE SERVICE.
YEAH, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
SULMASY: TYPICALLY, THE ENTOURAGE OF DOCTORS IN THEIR WHITE COATS GOING DOWN THE HALLWAY RAPIDLY SPEAKING ABOUT A PATIENT OUTSIDE THE ROOM, RUSHING IN, DOING A PHYSICAL EXAM, LEAVING, WILL CONCENTRATE ON ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF THE PATIENT'S CARE, AND IT'S VERY RARE, UM, TO ACTUALLY CONCENTRATE ON TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL CONCERNS OR EVEN, IN SOME WAYS, TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE CLUES THAT A PATIENT MIGHT GIVE US ABOUT, UH, THEIR-- THE WAYS IN WHICH SPIRITUALITY MIGHT BE, UM, HELPING THEM TO COPE.
SOUNDED PRETTY GOOD.
SOUNDED PRETTY GOOD.
UH, OK. NOW, I, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SARCOID FOR A--A LONG TIME.
HOW LONG?
SINCE '98.
'98, OK. AND--AND WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE STRENGTH TO KEEP GOING THROUGH ALL THIS?
IF I DIDN'T HAVE THAT STRENGTH FROM THE CHURCH AND FROM GOD... MM-HMM.
OH, I THINK I WOULD'VE BEEN GAVE UP.
GOOD, GOOD.
BUT I AIN'T GIVING UP.
MY LIFE IS TOO IMPORTANT.
SULMASY: SOMETIMES I THINK THE PRIMARY QUESTION TO ASK FROM A SPIRITUAL POINT OF VIEW IS JUST SIT DOWN NEXT TO THE PATIENT, SORT OF SAY, "HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS, AND HOW ARE YOU COPING?
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU HAVE FOR COPING?"
UM, AND THEN TRY TO, YOU KNOW, ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED IT AS A PROBE, "WHAT SORT OF SPIRITUAL RESOURCES DO YOU HAVE?
DO YOU WANT TO SEE ONE OF OUR CHAPLAINS?"
YOU EVER TRIED THIS BEFORE?
[CHUCKLES] ANY OF YOU EVER TRY IT?
YOU'LL GO IN A PATIENT ROOM AND THEY'LL, LIKE, BE ON THEIR iPAD, LIKE, WATCHING, OR ON THE TV, LIKE, UM, LISTENING TO A SERMON, OR, LIKE, WATCHING YOU KNOW, THEIR CHURCH SERVICE OR WHATEVER, SO... UM, BUT THAT'S BEEN THE EASIEST WAY FOR ME TO JUST, LIKE, KIND OF BRING IT UP.
SO I'M AN ATHEIST AND A--AND A NONBELIEVER, AND SO WHEN SOMEONE EXPRESSES, YOU KNOW, GRAPPLING WITH WANTING TO FIND THEMSELVES THROUGH RELIGION, I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE WILLING TO REFER OUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW I FIND MYSELF.
SULMASY: YES, THAT'S PERF-- THAT'S PERFECT.
IF SOMEBODY ASKS YOU TO PRAY WITH THEM, YOU--YOU KNOW, YOU PERFECTLY HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, FREE ENOUGH TO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, "I'M NOT REALLY COMFORTABLE DOING THAT..." "BUT I'D LOVE TO GET THE CHAPLAIN TO PRAY WITH YOU."
YEAH, YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY.
"I'D LOVE TO GET THE CHAPLAIN TO HELP RPAY WITH YOU."
SULMASY, VOICE-OVER: WE HAVE TO REASSURE THE STUDENTS THAT THIS IS NOT ME TRYING TO CONVERT ANY OF THEM.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PROSELYTIZING.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT IMPOSING RELIGION ON ANYBODY, UM, BUT BEING OPEN, UM, TO THE SPIRITUAL STRUGGLES OF PATIENTS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, I MEAN, WHEN YOU CAME IN, YOU SAID YOU REALLY WANT TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, QUIT DRINKING AND QUIT USING DRUGS.
YES.
UM, KIND OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, HAS HELPED YOU COME TO THAT DECISION, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HELP YOU... WHAT KIND OF HELPED ME COME TO THAT DECISION?
...STICK WITH IT, YEAH.
THE FEAR OF DYING IN THE STREET.
OK. ALL RIGHT.
MM-HMM.
ALL RIGHT.
UM, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HELP YOU KIND OF STICK WITH THAT PLAN?
THE LOVE OF MY CHILDREN AND THE SUPPORT OF MY CHILDREN.
OK. DO GET ANY HELP FROM, LIKE, FAITH OR SPIRITUALITY AT ALL?
I'M NOT TOO--I'M NOT-- I'M NOT--ME--ME AND GOD AIN'T FRIENDS RIGHT NOW.
OK. ALL RIGHT.
MAYBE THAT--MAYBE THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.
RIGHT.
WAS THERE EVER A TIME YOU WERE FRIENDS AND IT'S KIND OF...
I GUESS THERE WAS A TIME, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S BEEN QUITE A WHILE?
YEAH.
KIND OF WHEN ALL THE DEPRESSION AND-- I WON'T EVEN TALK TO HIM NOW.
I REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM... OK.
IT, OR WHAT.
SULMASY, VOICE-OVER: YOU HEAR SOMEBODY WHO SAYS, "I'M ESTRANGED FROM GOD," THAT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY NEGATIVE-- UM, THAT SORT OF NEGATIVE RELIGIOUS COPING IS ACTUALLY A VERY POOR PROGNOSTIC SIGN.
THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOW THE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, FEEL ESTRANGED FROM GOD, GOD IS PUNISHING THEM, ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, UM, HAVE, UH, POOR PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES.
AND SO SOME MIXTURE OF SPIRITUAL COUNSELING, AND, UM, SHOULD PROBABLY BE PART OF HIS, UH, REHAB, BECAUSE IT COULD BE REALLY, UH, HELPFUL FOR HIM.
PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT'S THE LAST TABOO, RIGHT?
WE CAN TALK TO PATIENTS ABOUT, UM, UH, THEIR SEXUAL LIVES IN, YOU KNOW, INTIMATE DETAIL.
WE SOMEHOW ARE FEARFUL OF TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL CONCERNS, AND THERE'S A CONCERN ON THE PART OF THE INTERNS AND THE RESIDENTS DOING IT.
UM, UH, BUT ONCE THEY GET OVER THE HUMP, ONCE THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE IT, I THINK THEY'VE BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, AND I THINK, THEREFORE, MORE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT FOR OTHER PATIENTS IN THE FUTURE.
FARR CURLIN: THERE'S AN EPIDEMIC ACROSS ALL CORNERS OF THE PROFESSION OF FRUSTRATION AMONG PHYSICIANS WITH THEIR WORK.
NOW, WHY IS THAT GOING ON?
WE TEND TO THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF BUREAUCRATIC INTERFERENCE.
IT'S BECAUSE OF DECLINING REIMBURSEMENT RATES.
IT'S BECAUSE OF DECREASED PROFESSIONAL AUTONOMY.
BUT I THINK THAT THE PROFESSION HAS BEEN IGNORING THE POSSIBILITY THAT AT ITS ROOT, THE DISCONTENT THAT PHYSICIANS FEEL NOW THAT LEADS TO WHAT WE CALL BURNOUT, THAT LEADS TO PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS LEAVING THE FIELD OF PRIMARY CARE IN DROVES, UH, PEOPLE TRYING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY HAVE TO SPEND WITH PATIENTS... THAT DISCONTENT EXPRESSES A DEEP SENSE THAT WHAT PHYSICIANS ARE DOING NOW IS NO LONGER REALLY MEDICINE.
PUCHALSKI: I WAS PART OF A STUDY LOOKING AT THE ROLE OF SPIRITUALITY IN THE LIVES OF MEDICAL RESIDENTS, SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO BURNOUT AND DEPRESSION, AND SADLY, THE RATES OF BURNOUT, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDE ARE VERY HIGH AMONG PHYSICIANS, MEDICAL STUDENTS, AND RESIDENTS.
AND IN THAT PARTICULAR STUDY, UH, MY COLLEAGUES AND I FOUND THAT RESIDENTS, UH, WHO HAD SOME SORT OF SPIRITUAL BELIEF VALUES SUPPORTING THEM IN-- AND THIS IS BROADLY DEFINED-- TENDED TO HAVE LOWER RATES OF DEPRESSION AND BURNOUT.
KOENIG: WITH ALL YOUR TRAINING AND ALL YOUR TECHNOLOGY, PEOPLE DIE, THEY GET WORSE, THEY SUFFER, AND YOU CAN'T DO A THING ABOUT IT.
THAT CREATES BURNOUT WHEN IT'S JUST A JOB.
IF IT'S A CALLING, IT'S DIFFERENT.
THE CALLING PART OF IT, THE SPIRITUAL PART OF IT, IS WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING.
IT'S WHAT KEEP-- GETS YOU UP IN THE NIGHT, GIVES YOU THE ENERGY, THE MOTIVATION TO DO THIS.
THE MECHANISM THAT I HAVE FOUND MOST EFFECTIVE FOR FINDING MEANING IN MEDICINE HAS BEEN COMMUNITY.
GENUINE COMMUNITY.
AND THE OLDEST WAY OF FINDING MEANING: STORYTELLING.
SO WE HAVE SET UP A SELF-LED STRATEGY OF STORYTELLING FOR DOCTORS OR ANYONE WHO IS DOING SERVICE WORK.
TONIGHT, OUR TOPIC IS LOVE, THE EXPERIENCE OF LOVE IN MEDICINE, UH, THE THING THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE AND NOBODY TALKS ABOUT.
ANYBODY WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT OR SHARE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?
I--I LEARNED HOW-- HOW POWERFUL THIS-- THIS, UH, THIS STETHOSCOPE REALLY IS IN TERMS OF LOVE.
UM, I WOULD USED TO-- I USED TO LISTEN TO PATIENTS-- UH, PEDIATRIC PATIENTS AND NEONATAL PATIENTS-- BY JUST PUTTING IT-- THIS ON THE HEART TO LISTEN TO THE HEART, AND THAT WAS ALL, AND, UH, I GATHERED MY INFORMATION.
BUT THEN YEARS AND YEARS AGO, MY WIFE THE, UM, ALLERGIST TAUGHT ME THAT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO A CHILD'S LUNGS, IT'S BEST TO SQUEEZE THE CHEST FROM BACK AND FRONT.
SO THAT FORCED ME TO LISTEN WITH MY HAND ON THE CHILD'S BACK AND MY HAND IN FRONT, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, UM, AFTER I STARTED DOING THAT, I BEGAN TO FEEL, UH, MORE THAN JUST LIS-- JUST THE--THE, UH, AUSCULTATION OF LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS.
I BEGAN TO FEEL AN ENERGY, AND I COULDN'T PUT IT IN WORDS UNTIL I JUST REALIZED THAT THAT WAS LOVE.
THAT WAS THE LOVE CONNECTION BETWEEN ME AND THE PATIENT.
DOCTOR: SO, RACHEL, I BROUGHT MY APRON, WHICH I WANT TO PUT ON.
I'VE--I'VE TOLD YOU GUYS ABOUT MY APRON ALL THESE YEARS, BUT HERE IT IS.
REMEN: THIS IS WHAT YOU WORE IN YOUR PRACTICE?
THIS IS WHAT I WORE EVERY DAY FOR 20 YEARS IN MY PRACTICE...
WHEN I WALKED INTO THE OFFICE IN THE MORNING.
AND WHEN I--WHEN YOU SPOKE ABOUT SERVICE AND THE URGE TO MEET THE PATIENT'S NEEDS WITHOUT FRIGHTENING THEM, WITHOUT PUSHING THEM AWAY, WITHOUT MAKING THEM FEEL AFRAID OF THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY.
I--I HAD AN APRON AND I PUT IT ON ORIGINALLY FOR MY SHOULDERS TO NOT HURT.
BUT THEN I REALIZED THE PATIENTS WERE LOVING ME LIKE THEIR GRANDMOTHER OR SOMEBODY NOT FRIGHTENING.
AND THE APRON MATTERED SO MUCH, AND I'VE TRIED TO SHARE IT WITH OTHER DOCTORS AND SAY, "PUT THE APRON ON."
IT JUST--IT MAKES THE PATIENTS SAY, "ARE YOU MRS. SEE'S?
ARE YOU THE MAID?"
[LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?
WHO--WHO ARE YOU?"
BUT--BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF A SCARED PREGNANT LADY OR YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEBODY WHO JUST GOT DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MEET THEIR NEEDS LIKE WE ALL TRY TO MEET THOSE NEEDS, AND WE REALIZE THAT SERVICE IS THE HEART OF MEETING THEIR NEEDS, OF MEETING THE FEAR AND MEETING THE--THE--THE STRESS, MEETING THE WORRY ABOUT WHAT DOES THE DIAGNOSIS MEAN IN THEIR LIFE.
IF YOU'RE WEARING AN APRON, YOU CAN'T LOOK SO SCARY.
SO I THINK OF ALL THE TOOLS I'VE USED, THIS APRON IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
WHERE HAVE I MOST CONSISTENTLY PARTICIPATED AND WITNESSED THE GREATEST LOVE IN PEDIATRICS?
AND, PERHAPS STRANGELY ENOUGH, IT'S--IT'S AT THE BEDSIDE OF DYING CHILDREN.
AND IT'S SUCH REMARKABLY SACRED TERRITORY, AND IT'S SO PROFOUND TO... BE ABLE TO WITNESS PARENTS WHO ARE LETTING THEIR CHILDREN GO, BUT TO BE ABLE TO HOLD THAT SPACE AND HELP THE PARENTS STAY CONFIDENT AND PRESENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO ACCOMPANY THEIR CHILD AS FAR AS THEY CAN, IT'S--IT'S JUST LOVE ALMOST TANGIBLE.
I WAS THINKING EARLIER ABOUT THAT, UH, AS A PHYSICIAN, WE HAVE A LICENSE TO TOUCH.
YES.
MM-HMM.
AND HOW MANY TIMES I--AS I'M EXAMINING PATIENTS-- UM, DURING MY TIME OF DOING FAMILY PRACTICE-- AS I WOULD BE EXAMINING THEM, I WOULD BE SENDING LOVE AND HEALING INTO THEM WITH MY HANDS.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT, BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WAS REALLY STRANGE, BUT--BUT--BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME AND I DID IT.
AND TO ME, I WAS GIVING THEM A BLESSING.
REMEN, VOICE-OVER: IT NEVER OCCURS TO DOCTORS TO LET THEIR PATIENTS KNOW HOW MUCH THEY MATTER.
I MEAN, THERE ARE PEOPLE RIGHT THIS MINUTE WHO ARE WORKING 80-HOUR WEEKS BECAUSE PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW MATTER TO THEM, AND THAT'S BEEN TRUE OF THE LINEAGE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
FERNGREN: I FIND THAT MEDICAL HISTORY IS A WINDOW BY WHICH ONE CAN LOOK AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SOCIETY, THE RELIGIOUS APPROACHES TO HEALING, THE MEDICAL THEORIES THAT HAVE DEFINED DISEASE, THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED PATTERNS OF CAREGIVING.
ALL THOSE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE AN INTERESTING MIX OF DIFFERING CULTURES, UH, DIFFERING WAYS OF LOOKING AT MEDICINE AND HOW IT EXISTS IN OUR WORLD.
THE WHOLE NOTION OF HEALTHCARE, THE IDEA OF CARING FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK, REALLY HAS ITS ROOTS WITHIN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.
EVEN THIS WHITE COAT, THIS WHITE COAT THAT I HAVE ON HERE, IS REALLY A DESCENDANT FROM THE GARMENT OF THE PRIEST.
WE KNOW THAT THE TALMUD CAME TO REQUIRE THAT EVERY COMMUNITY OF JEWS HAVE A PHYSICIAN.
WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE PHYSICIANS IN THE TEMPLE IN THE FIRST CENTURY.
RABBI HAROLD WHITE: THE TALMUD COMES AFTER THE BIBLE, AND THE TALMUD CONCERNS LAW.
THERE ARE HUGE SECTIONS OF THE TALMUD WHICH DEAL WITH THE ASPECT OF HEALTH.
VERY, VERY INTRICATE IDEAS AND EXPLANATIONS OF HEALTH.
THE PHARISEES MADE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO JEWISH LIFE.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THEY MADE WAS THIS STATEMENT: WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING A HUMAN LIFE, ALL RELIGIOUS LAW IS ABROGATED.
THIS APPLIES TO MODERN JEWISH MEDICINE.
IF YOU TAKE SICK ON SHABBAT, ON THE SABBATH WHEN YOU ARE ORDINARILY FORBIDDEN TO RIDE, JEWISH LAW COMMANDS THAT YOU MUST BE TAKEN BY AN AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO SAVING A HUMAN LIFE AND HEALTH ACTUALLY TAKES RANK ABOVE JEWISH OBSERVANCE.
SULMASY: THE NEW TESTAMENT IS NOT FILLED WITH A LOT OF SEAS BEING SPLIT OR BUSHES BURNING.
IT'S REALLY SICK PEOPLE, UM, WHO COME TO JESUS AND ARE HEALED.
NOW, THOSE ARE THE PREDOMINANT MIRACLE.
AND--AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION TO PONDER WHY IT IS THAT HEALING IS THE MIRACLE OF CHOICE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE HEALING ITSELF IS SYMBOLIC OF THE KIND OF RESTORATION OF RIGHT RELATIONSHIP THAT IS THE SORT OF UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION THAT JESUS--I THINK HIS PREACHING IS OFFERED TO THE WHOLE WORLD THROUGH HIS SALVIFIC PRESENCE.
FERNGREN: WHEN MARTIN LUTHER NAILED THE 95 THESES TO THE DOOR OF THE WITTENBERG CHURCH IN 1517, HE STARTED NOT JUST A RELIGIOUS REFORMATION BUT A REVOLUTION THAT INFLUENCED MANY ASPECTS-- PERHAPS ALL ASPECTS OF EUROPEAN SOCIETY-- AND OF COURSE THERE WAS BOUND TO BE AN INFLUENCE ON MEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE.
LUTHER AND CALVIN BELIEVED THAT GOD HAD GIVEN MEDICINE AS A GIFT, THAT GOD HEALED THROUGH MEDICINE.
AND ONE FINDS THAT PROTESTANTS ENCOURAGED TRAINING FOR MEDICINE, ENCOURAGED DOCTORS, AND SOMETIMES ENCOURAGED NEW WAYS.
SULMASY: BUT AS MEDICINE BECAME MORE SCIENTIFIC, UM, AS SOMETHING LIKE PATHOLOGICAL ANATOMY BEGAN IN THE 16th CENTURY WHEN AUTOPSIES BEGAN TO BE DONE, WHEN THE FOCUS OF MEDICINE BECAME ON EXPLAINING IN A SCIENTIFIC WAY UH, WHAT WAS GOING ON AND CAUSING THE DISEASES, UM, THIS WAS, ON THE ONE HAND, A GREAT BREAKTHROUGH THAT ONE COULD UNDERSTAND IN A PHYSICAL WAY THAT COULD HELP PATIENTS WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM.
BUT IT ALSO, UM, BECAME, IN SOME WAYS, THE BEGINNING OF--OF A SORT OF GRADUAL, UH, DISSOCIATION UM, OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, UH, RELIGION AND MEDICINE.
ANNE HARRINGTON: DESCARTES IS REMEMBERED AS THE PERSON WHO SPLIT MIND FROM BODY.
RENE DESCARTES WAS PART OF A GROUP OF PHILOSOPHERS IN THE 17th CENTURY WHO WERE ATTEMPTING TO PUT PHILOSOPHY ON A NEW BASIS, A BASIS THAT WOULD BE ROOTED IN REASON, UH, AND IN FACTS.
EXCEPT FOR THE HUMAN MIND, WHICH DESCARTES SAID WOULD NOT BE PART OF THE NEW NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.
THE CHURCH COULD LOOK AFTER THE HUMAN MIND.
THE HUMAN MIND-- HE DIDN'T USE THE WORD "MIND," HE TALKED ABOUT THE SOUL.
RENE DESCARTES WAS PART OF THE SET OF MOVEMENTS THAT WE SOMETIME CALL "THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION."
RICHARD SLOAN: WITH THE ADVENT OF SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19th CENTURY, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE SOURCE OF ILLNESS REALLY WASN'T MORAL FAILURE.
THE SOURCE OF ILLNESS WAS MICROORGANISMS, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORALITY AND MEDICINES CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.
WE NO LONGER CONSIDER THAT ILLNESS IS--IS THE PRODUCT OF MORAL FAILURE.
THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OF DISEASE BECAME MORE AND MORE THE FOCUS, UM, TO THE POINT WHERE IN--IN THE MID 20th CENTURY WHEN MEDICINE BECOMES REALLY INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND EFFICACIOUS, RELIGION, IN SOME WAYS, BECAME EVEN, IF YOU WILL, A BARRIER TO SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.
IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY, I WOULD ARGUE A NEW KIND OF CULTURAL, UM, IDEAL TAKES SHAPE AROUND MEDICINE, AND PARTICULARLY AROUND DOCTORS, AND I'VE LABELED THIS FASCINATION WITH-- WITH MEDICAL DOCTORS A CULT OF DOCTORS.
IT'S IN THE LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE USE.
IT'S IN THE ADORATION, UH, THAT PEOPLE PROJECT TO MEDICAL DOCTORS.
IT'S IN THE CULTURAL FASCINATION WITH THE DOCTOR IN THE WHITE COAT THAT IS TIED REALLY TO THE NEW POWERS OF HEALING THAT MEDICAL DOCTORS WERE ABLE TO HARNESS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE 20th CENTURY.
A LOT OF THE DIALOGUE TODAY AROUND RELATIONS BETWEEN MEDICINE AND RELIGION FOCUSES ON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS AND MEDICAL PRACTICE.
HOWEVER, THERE'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE LARGER TERRAIN HERE THAT'S DIFFERENT, AND IT LOOKS-- AND IT FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH MEDITATIVE PRACTICES, MANY OF WHICH HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN EASTERN RELIGIONS, MIGHT ALSO BRING HEALTH BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE THEM.
MEDITATION BECOMES A WIDELY PRACTICED SECULAR PRACTICE, UM, AND THEN IT BECOMES A WIDELY PRACTICED MEDICAL PRACTICE.
THIS HAPPENS IN THE 1970s, PARTICULARLY, UH, THROUGH THE WORK OF A HARVARD-BASED CARDIOLOGIST NAMED HERBERT BENSON.
BENSON: AT THE TIME, MEDICINE WAS NOT ACCEPTING ANYTHING BUT DRUGS AND SURGERY THAT WAS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN.
STRESS WAS BEYOND THE PALE.
SO WHEN PEOPLE CAME TO ME AND ASKED TO BE STUDIED BECAUSE THEY PRACTICED MEDITATION, I STUDIED THEM ONLY IN THE EVENING AND BROUGHT THEM IN THROUGH SIDE DOORS OF THE BUILDINGS AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL SO PEOPLE COULDN'T SEE THEM.
AND WHAT I DID WAS I MEASURED THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE, THEIR HEART RATE, THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN THEY CONSUME, THEIR METABOLISM, THEIR BRAIN WAVES, THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, THE HEART RHYTHMS, AND THEIR RATE OF BREATHING.
THERE WERE DRAMATIC CHANGES IN THE BODY WHEN THEY MEDITATED.
IT COULDN'T BE POSTURE; THEY WEREN'T MOVING.
IT--IT COULDN'T BE EXERCISE; THEY WERE PEACEFUL.
IT COULDN'T BE SOMETHING WHAT THEY WERE SEEING BECAUSE THEIR EYES WERE CLOSED.
IT HAD TO BE A MIND EFFECT.
WHEN YOU'RE UNDER STRESS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU EVOKE WHAT'S CALLED THE FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT RESPONSE.
YOU PREPARE FOR RUNNING OR FOR FIGHTING.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE'RE UNDER STRESS, WE DON'T RUN, WE DON'T FIGHT, BUT THE HORMONES ARE STILL THERE.
AND THESE HORMONES CONTRIBUTE TO DISORDERS THAT CONSTITUTES 60% TO 90% OF VISITS TO DOCTORS.
WHAT ARE THEY?
HEADACHES, INSOMNIA, BELLYACHES, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, UH, FOR EXAMPLE.
ALSO, ALL FORMS PAIN, THE THRESHOLD'S LOWER.
AND THERE ARE NO GOOD DRUGS, THERE ARE NO SURGERIES THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY TREAT STRESS.
PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO EVOKE THE RELAXATION RESPONSE AND USE IT APPROPRIATELY FOR STRESS AND STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS.
SO HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS, WITH A SHOW OF HANDS, ARE ACTUALLY FEELING STRESSED?
RIGHT.
SO A LOT OF US, THE MAJORITY OF US.
STRESS IS AFFECTING STUDENTS FROM ALL DIFFERENT-- A VARIETY OF SOCIOECONOMIC POPULATIONS.
STUDENTS WHO ARE CUTTING IS A WAY OF COPING WITH STRESS, OR BINGE DRINKING OR OVEREATING.
THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A TOOLKIT OF TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY WORKED FOR THEM.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHEN WE'RE ELICITING THE RELAXATION RESPONSE IS HELP STUDENTS TO BE MORE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT SO THAT STUDENTS ARE MORE IN CONTROL, IT HELPS WITH THEIR MEMORY, AND THEY'RE MORE RELAXED.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT OUR PROGRAM IS TO UNDERSTAND STUDENTS' LEARNING STYLE, BECAUSE ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND A STUDENT'S LEARNING STYLE, THEN YOU CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT THEY CAN ELICIT THE RELAXATION RESPONSE THAT REALLY WORKS FOR THEM.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS THE ONE THING THAT YOU COULD PRACTICE THIS WEEK, THE ONE THING FROM CLASS TODAY THAT HELPED YOU THE MOST?
PROBABLY JUST THE LAYING DOWN AND, LIKE, VISUALIZING SOME SORT OF CALMING SITUATION REALLY HELPED.
SAYING SOMETHING POSITIVE IN A STRESSFUL SITUATION.
GO BACK TO A HAPPY MOMENT.
CHUDNOFSKY, VOICE-OVER: OUR JOB HERE AT THE BENSON HENRY INSTITUTE IS TO REALLY PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES THAT THEY CAN USE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, NOT ONLY ACADEMICALLY BUT ALSO FOR THEIR LIFE.
BENSON: THESE MILLENNIUM-OLD PRACTICES-- YOGA, TAI CHI, QIGONG, PRAYER, WHATEVER RELIGION-- BREATHING EXERCISES WERE EVOKING CHANGE THAT WERE GETTING DOWN TO THE GENETIC LEVEL.
SO HERE WAS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT AND HEALTH THAT WAS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN.
AS A PSYCHIATRIST, I BELIEVE-- AND I THINK THE RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, SHOWS THIS WELL-- THAT, UH, RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT DOES HELP PEOPLE TO COPE WITH THE PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, PHYSICAL STRESSORS THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THEIR LIFE, AND, REALLY, THIS POINT WAS WHAT GOT ME STARTED STUDYING THIS WHOLE AREA.
RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THE GREAT LONGEVITY BENEFIT THAT COMES WITH REGULAR ATTENDANCE OF-- AT RELIGIOUS SERVICES HAS BEEN DONE IN A NUMBER OF PLACES.
THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 300 STUDIES LOOKING AT THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION AND WELL-BEING AND HAPPINESS, OVER 300 STUDIES.
OF THOSE, 80% SHOW THAT RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HAPPIER.
[ORGAN PLAYS] REVEREND DORY LITTLE: NOW, JUST THINK OF THIS.
THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR IN OUR CHURCH.
THINK OF THE ANSWERS TO PRAYER, HMM?
THINK OF THE REMARKABLE THINGS THAT GOD HAS SOMETIMES DONE FOR US: CANCERS IN ABEYANCE, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, EVEN GONE.
BUT NOT ALL MELANOMAS ARE IMMOBILIZED.
SOME HAVE MARCHED ON, UNCHECKED TILL DEATH, AND DEATH CAME AND GRIEF CONSUMED FAMILIES WE LOVE.
WE LIVE, AS I LIKE TO SAY, WITH JOY-PAIN.
CAN YOU MAKE THAT A SINGLE WORD OR AT LEAST HYPHENATE IT?
WE LIVE WITH PAIN-JOY AND JOY-PAIN.
WE CANNOT DEMAND BLESSINGS FROM GOD.
HE IS NOT A COKE MACHINE.
YOU DON'T PUT 50 CENTS IN OR MAYBE A DOLLAR IN AND GET OUT WHAT YOU WANT.
HE WILL OPERATE ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, IN HIS PROVIDENCE WHICH IS LOVING.
ONE DAY, WE WILL BE WITH HIM, HEALED IN ALL RESPECTS.
YES, CHRIST IS OUR HEALER.
LET'S PRAY.
OH, JESUS, OUR HEALER, WE DON'T MAKE LIGHT OF ANYTHING THAT YOU DO.
GEORGE: OUR RESEARCH SHOWS-- AS DOES OTHERS-- THAT PEOPLE WHO ATTEND RELIGIOUS SERVICES ONCE A WEEK OR MORE WILL LIVE, ON AVERAGE, 8 YEARS LONGER THAN PEOPLE WHO NEVER ATTEND RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THAT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT LONGEVITY DIFFERENCE.
CONGREGATION: ♪ IN HEAVEN... ♪ GEORGE: THE EFFECT IS LARGE AND VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
PRAYER IS A VERY COMMON RELIGIOUS PRACTICE-- PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS PRACTICE-- BECAUSE IT--IT CONNECTS US WITH--WITH THE DIVINE.
AND OFTENTIMES, WITHIN RELIGIOUS SERVICES, PEOPLE WILL PRAY FOR THE SICK.
I ANOINT YOU IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
LET US PRAY.
DEAR GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR OUR SISTER SUE... KOENIG: NOW, IF THOSE WHO ARE BEING PRAYED FOR ARE AWARE THAT OTHERS ARE PRAYING FOR THEM, CERTAINLY I WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
IT--IT--IT MAKES A PERSON FEEL LESS ISOLATED, LESS ALONE WITH THEIR ILLNESS, THE WHOLE NOTION THAT THERE'S A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PRAYING FOR MY WELL-BEING, THAT THAT BRINGS GREAT COMFORT FOR THAT PERSON WHO IS SICK.
LITTLE: LORD GOD, IT HAS BEEN OUR PRIVILEGE TO PRAY OFTEN FOR SUE, AND WE HAVE SEEN YOUR ANSWERS.
YOU HAVE INTERVENED IN HER LIFE.
SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
YEAR AFTER YEAR GOES BY, AND YET HERE SHE IS, AND YOU HAVE STAYED THE AGGRESSION OF THIS CANCER, AND WE PRAY HUMBLY, LORD, THAT IF IT'S YOUR WILL, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
GEORGE: SCIENCE IS NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHETHER GOD HEALS.
IT'S NOT SCIENTIFICALLY INVESTIGATEABLE.
BUT SCIENCE CAN TELL YOU WHETHER BELIEF IN GOD HEALS.
THOSE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND AS LONG AS WE KEEP THAT STRAIGHT IN OUR MINDS, THEN WE KNOW WHERE THE LIMITS OF SCIENCE ARE IN THIS FIELD, AND WE KNOW REALLY HOW MUCH SCIENCE CAN TELL US, UH, ABOUT THE POWER OF BELIEF TO AFFECT NOT ONLY KEEPING HEALTHY BUT RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS OR INJURY.
WELL, GOD CHANGES YOUR BRAIN IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, AND IT REALLY DEPENDS A LOT ON WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON, THE KIND OF BELIEFS THAT YOU HOLD, AND HOW YOU BEGIN TO ENGAGE YOUR RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL IDEAS ABOUT THE WORLD AND ABOUT YOURSELF.
WHEN WE ENGAGE IN PRACTICES LIKE MEDITATION AND PRAYER, WE SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT CHANGES OCCURRING IN THE EMOTIONAL CENTERS OF THE BRAIN AND THE THOUGHT CENTERS OF THE BRAIN AND IN THE BEHAVIORAL AREAS OF THE BRAIN.
WHAT WE SEE HERE, THESE ARE ACTUALLY A KIND OF SCAN CALLED A SPECT SCAN.
A SPECT SCAN ACTUALLY LOOKS AT BLOOD FLOW CHANGES IN THE BRAIN.
WHAT WE SEE DURING MEDITATION AND ALSO DURING A LOT OF OUR PRAYER PRACTICES IS THAT THE FRONTAL LOBES, LISTED HERE AS THE ATTENTION AREA, IS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED DURING THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER AND MEDITATION.
YOU CAN SEE A LOT MORE RED IN HERE AND IN HERE THAN WHAT YOU SEE HERE OR HERE.
WHAT WE THINK IS HAPPENING IS AS THEY FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION, AS THEY FOCUS THEIR MIND ON THE PRACTICE ITSELF, THE IDEA, THE IMAGE, THE OBJECT, THEY ARE ACTIVATING THE AREA OF THE BRAIN THAT HELPS US TO FOCUS ATTENTION, AND THAT'S THE FRONTAL LOBES, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SEE ON THE BRAIN SCANS.
THIS ULTIMATELY TELLS US-- WE CAN ULTIMATELY LINK THIS BACK TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE BODY THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE PRACTICES.
IF THEY'RE CAUSING CHANGES IN THE FRONTAL LOBES AND THE PARIETAL LOBES, THIS ULTIMATELY GETS ALL THE WAY CONNECTED DOWN TO THE BRAIN AND IT AFFECTS OUR-- OUR STRESS LEVELS.
IT AFFECTS OUR ANX--ANXIETY LEVELS, CHANGES OUR BODY'S PHYSIOLOGY, AND ULTIMATELY CHANGES OUR HEALTH.
I WOULD, LIKE, TELL PEOPLE I WAS TRYING TO GET SOBER, BUT THEN SOMEONE WOULD OFFER ME, LIKE, A DRUG OR WHATEVER, AND I WOULD JUST SAY YES.
I'D DO ONE DRUG UNTIL IT STOPPED WORKING FOR ME, AND THEN I'D MOVE ON TO THE NEXT DRUG.
I'M IN COLLEGE AND I'M BLACKOUT DRUNK AND I'M TRYING TO KILL MYSELF AND I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OF THIS.
BY THE TIME I WAS 14, I STARTED DOING COKE, UM, AND THEN THE OPIATES STARTED TO COME INTO PLAY.
AND, LIKE, BY THE TIME I WAS 17, LIKE, I WAS SHOOTING HEROIN AND SMOKING CRACK.
I BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN WITH ME.
I LOST A LOT OF FRIENDS.
I LOST TRUST OF FAMILY.
I LOST MYSELF.
WE RECEIVED A GRANT AS PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM THROUGH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM TO STUDY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRINKING AND SPIRITUALITY.
WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON ADOLESCENTS.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE ADMINISTERED A QUESTIONNAIRE THAT MEASURED 10 OR 12 SPIRITUAL CONSTRUCTS.
SOME OF THEM WOULD BE CHURCH ATTENDANCE, OR, DO YOU READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY?
DO YOU PRAY?
AND THEN THERE WERE 3 QUESTIONS THAT ASKED ABOUT FORGIVENESS.
AND IN THE END, THERE WAS ONLY ONE THAT WAS PROTECTIVE AGAINST DRINKING, AND IT WAS FORGIVENESS.
LET'S TALK FIRST ABOUT, UM, FORGIVING SELF.
HOW HAS THAT BEEN FOR YOU?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE THERE, OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT?
I DID A LOT OF BAD THINGS THAT, LIKE, HURT ME.
I CAN'T FORGIVE MYSELF FOR THEM, BUT I ALSO, LIKE, KIND OF FELT LIKE I DESERVED IT.
SO I JUST FEEL LIKE I D-DON'T REALLY DESERVE TO BE FORGIVE--FORGIVEN... GREEN: WOW.
GIRL: ...A LOT OF THE TIME.
UH, BUT, I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING I'M STILL WORKING ON.
BOY: FOR ME, THERE WAS ONE THING THAT I REMEMBERED THAT, UH, MY SPONSOR DID WITH ME.
WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY, AND WE WERE HEADING TO A MEETING, AND THIS GUY PULLS OVER, AND HE SAYS, UH, "DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF?"
AND I REMEMBER JUST-- LIKE THAT, I JUST STARTED CRYING AND JUST BAWLING MY EYES OUT, AND HE SAID, "ALL RIGHT.
NOW LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU LOVE YOU."
AFTER ETERNITY, I WAS ABLE TO JUST LOOK UP AND JUST SAY, "I LOVE YOU."
IT WAS HONESTLY, LIKE, A BETTER FEELING THAN ALL OF THE DRUGS THAT I HAD DONE.
I FOUND IT A LOT EASIER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO FORGIVE MYSELF AFTER THAT.
EXPERIENCING FORGIVENESS FROM OTHERS... HOW HAS THAT BEEN FOR YOU?
NOW BEING FORGIVEN BY OTHERS IS WEIRD.
GREEN: OH, INTERESTING.
WHY IS THAT?
GIRL: PROBABLY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T FULLY FORGIVEN MYSELF, IN A WAY.
UM, BUT IT'S THIS-- IT'S KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE.
LIKE, THE FIRST TIME THAT MY BROTHER SAID, "IT'S--IT'S OK." LIKE, "YOU MADE MISTAKES, BUT I KNOW THAT WASN'T REALLY YOU."
LIKE, "YOU WEREN'T REALLY MAKING THOSE CHOICES, THE DRUGS WERE MAKING THE CHOICES FOR YOU.
"AND I KNOW THAT THEY WERE THE BAD ONES, BUT IT'S OK, AND IT'S GOING TO BE OK. YOU'RE GONNA BE A DIFFERENT PERSON NOW."
WHEN HE SAID THAT TO ME, I WAS KIND OF LIKE, "OH...OK." LIKE, WHEN I WAS OUT DRINKING, LIKE, MY MOM WOULD NEVER-- LIKE, IT WOULD BE MORE, LIKE, WORRIED, IF SHE WOULD CALL, LIKE, 15 TIMES IN A ROW TO, LIKE, MAKE SURE I WAS-- LITERALLY IF I WAS STILL ALIVE.
LIKE, IF I DIDN'T PICK UP ON THE FIRST TRY, MY MOM THOUGHT I WAS DEAD IN A DITCH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I MEAN, SHE'S IRISH AND CATHOLIC, SO MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THAT WORRISOME COMES FROM.
BUT, LIKE, NOW, YOU KNOW, SHE'LL CALL ME AND, LIKE, ASK IF I'M COMING HOME FOR DINNER, AND, LIKE, THAT SOUNDS, LIKE, VERY BASIC, BUT THAT'S HUGE.
LIKE, MY MOM ASKING ME IF I'M COMING HOME FOR DINNER... THAT'S WHAT I THINK FORGIVENESS IS.
I MADE AMENDS WITH MY FATHER, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HE'S A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE, AND I HURT HIM FOR A LOT-- A LOT OF YEARS.
HE'S--HE'S AN AWESOME GUY, AND IT TOOK ME-- I'VE BEEN SOBER ALMOST 4 YEARS, AND IT TOOK ME 3 YEAR-- 3 1/2 YEARS TO, UH, TO MAKE AMENDS WITH THIS GUY BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY TO HIM.
UM, BUT AFTER I WAS DONE AND TOLD HIM EVERYTHING, LIKE, I HAD DONE TO HIM THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT AND HE BROUGHT SOME STUFF UP TO ME, LIKE, ALL HE DID-- ALL HE WANTED TO KNOW WAS, LIKE, HOW I RECOVERED AND, LIKE, HOW-- HOW OTHERS CAN DO THAT, TOO.
LIKE, HE WANTED TO HELP SOMEBODY ELSE WITH IT.
FORGIVENESS IS A VERY POWERFUL HEALTH PREDICTOR ACROSS ALL AGES, AND IT WAS FOR THE ADOLESCENTS, TOO.
CURLIN: WE SURVEYED MORE THAN 1,000 U.S. PHYSICIANS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS ALL CLINICAL SPECIALTIES.
PHYSICIANS WHO ARE MORE RELIGIOUS WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SAY THAT THEY OBSERVE, UH, THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION ON THE HEALTH OF THEIR PATIENTS, MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SAY THAT PATIENTS BRING UP SPIRITUAL CONCERNS IN THE CLINICAL ENCOUNTER.
IN CONTRAST, PHYSICIANS WHO ARE LESS RELIGIOUS, OR WHO HAVE NO RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SAY THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR PHYSICIANS TO BE ENGAGING IN.
IN THE REAL WORLD WHEN PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS INTERACT, IT'S NOT A--A SYMMETRICAL RELATIONSHIP.
IT'S AN ASYMMETRICAL RELATIONSHIP.
THE PHYSICIAN IS IN THE POSITION OF THE AUTHORITY, AND THE PATIENT IS IN THE POSITION OF SEEKING THE EXPERTISE OF THE AUTHORITY, AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY FINE FOR THAT HIERARCHICAL RELATIONSHIP TO EXIST WHEN THE AGENDA IS MEDICINE AND HEALTH.
BUT WHEN PHYSICIANS DEPART FROM A MEDICAL AGENDA TO PURSUE A DIFFERENT ONE, TO INQUIRE OR PROMOTE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, THEN IT RUNS THE RISK OF BEING MANIPULATIVE OR, EVEN WORSE, COERCIVE.
WHEN DOCTORS TRY TO SET ASIDE THEIR RELIGIOUS VALUES AND THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, WHAT THAT, IN EFFECT, DOES IS PUT FORWARD-- UM, THEY--THEY PUT THEMSELVES FORWARD AS SOMETHING WHICH THEY'RE NOT.
THEY PUT THEMSELVES FORWARD AS SORT OF BLANK SLATES, AS NEUTRAL, SCIENTIFIC PROVIDERS OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW BELIEFS MIGHT IMPACT HEALTHCARE.
IF PHYSICIANS DON'T ADDRESS THAT, THEY MAY BE MISSING A BIG PART OF THE PICTURE.
SO, BY BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PATIENT AND DEVELOP A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP, THE VISIT WILL ACTUALLY BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, BECAUSE WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GET TO THE KEY PIECES OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THAT PERSON AND WILL AFFECT THE TYPE OF DIAGNOSES THAT WE CAN MAKE.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH CONNECTING RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN MEDICINE IS THAT PATIENTS COME TO BELIEVE THAT BY THEIR RELIGIOUS PRACTICE, THEY CAN INFLUENCE THEIR MEDICAL OUTCOMES, AND, SORRY TO SAY, THE EVIDENCE DOESN'T SUPPORT THAT.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT RELIGION IN THE CONTEXT OF MEDICINE IS IRRELEVANT, BECAUSE RELIGION FOR MANY PEOPLE PROVIDES HOPE, AND HOPE MAY BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HOPE FOR THE BEST.
FOR MANY PEOPLE, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
BUT THERE'S A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOPING FOR THE BEST AND EXPECTING THAT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I AM GRATEFUL, UH, FRANKLY, FOR THE--THE CRITICS OF SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH.
THOUGH MOST PATIENTS WELCOME AND EVEN LONG FOR PHYSICIANS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR SPIRITUAL CONCERNS, IT'S NOT TRUE OF ALL PATIENTS.
AND THEY'VE HIGHLIGHTED HOW VULNERABLE PATIENTS CAN BE UM, WHEN THEY'RE SICK.
SO THEY'VE REMINDED US THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO TREAD IN LIGHTLY OR TO GO ABOUT TRIUMPHALISTICALLY AS IF SPIRITUALITY IS A KIND OF CURE-ALL FOR WHAT AILS MEDICINE AND FOR WHAT AILS PATIENTS.
HAVING SPENT 15 OR SO YEARS WORKING IN THIS FIELD AND THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN MEDICINE, I THINK I'VE COME TO APPRECIATE THAT PATIENTS' RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL CONCERNS ARE-- ARE REALLY MORE COMMON THAN I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT AND MORE COMPLEX THAN I HAD ORIGINALLY IMAGINED.
UM, BUT, HAVING COME TO THIS RECOGNITION, I--I'M EVEN MORE CONVINCED THAT THE APPROPRIATE COURSE OF ACTION FOR PHYSICIANS WHERE THE R--WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD, WHEN PHYSICIANS HAVE TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS, THEY SHOULDN'T DISMISS THEM.
THEY SHOULDN'T BE CONTEMPTUOUS OF THEM.
THEY SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE IMPORTANT, AND THEN THEY SHOULD REFER THEM TO HEALTHCARE CHAPLAINS, TO MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL CLERGY, TO PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAINED, WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE, AND THE TIME TO ADDRESS THESE COMPLEX RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS.
WOMAN: A PEDIATRIC CHAPLAIN PREPARES FOR EACH DAY TO BE MOST LIKELY A VERY INTENSE DAY.
HELLO, MORGAN.
IT'S CHAPLAIN BRADY.
NOW, IS IT OK IF I COME IN?
YEAH.
WELL, HOW IS YOUR DAY GOING?
UM, IT'S OK, I GUESS... BRADY, VOICE-OVER: OUR GOAL IN THIS WORK IS TO BRING COMFORT, TO BRING REASSURANCE, TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE CHILDREN, THE PATIENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES.
MORGAN: I WANT TO GET TO KNOW-- WELL, KIND OF LIKE NOT GET TO KNOW BUT LIKE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WRONG.
BRADY, VOICE-OVER: WE WORK WITH PEOPLE OF ALL FAITH TRADITIONS, NO FAITH TRADITIONS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID TO ME, "I DON'T HAVE A FAITH TRADITION, SO I DIDN'T KNOW I COULD CALL A CHAPLAIN."
CHAPLAINCY IS BEST DONE WHEN THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED, WHEN THERE'S SOME TRUST ESTABLISHED.
THANK YOU.
HEY... YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN, AND I'M SORRY YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS ON AND ON AND ON, AND ESPECIALLY HAVING TO BE APART FROM YOUR BROTHER TODAY.
THANK YOU.
GOD BLESS YOU, HONEY.
THANK YOU.
ANOTHER THING THAT I DO, BECAUSE IT'S PEDIATRIC CHAPLAINCY, IT IS DIFFICULT WORK.
IT'S--IT'S HEARTRENDING WORK.
YOU SEE IT IN THE STAFF.
SO WE TRY TO ALSO BE AWARE OF HOW THIS SITUATION IS IMPACTING A STAFF MEMBER.
WHAT--WHAT MIGHT YOU BE FRIGHTENED OF?
WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT?
BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE.
WE SEE SO MANY FAMILIES HERE THAT GO THROUGH SO MUCH STUFF, AND WE GET TO BECOME FAMILY WITH A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES.
WE GET KIDS THAT GO HOME FOR A FEW WEEKS AND ARE RIGHT BACK FOR A FEW WEEKS.
IN SPITE OF ALL OF THE BEST CARE AND YOUR BEST CARE.
THIS IS--WHEN THEY HAVE CHRONIC CONDITIONS, THIS BECOMES THEIR PART-TIME HOME.
WE SHARE HAPPY MOMENTS.
WE SHARE BIRTHDAYS WITH THEM.
WE SHARE SAD MOMENTS WHEN THEY'RE DOING-- NOT DOING WELL.
WHEN THE KIDS AREN'T DOING WELL, WE'RE--WE'RE WITH THE PARENTS.
I'M NOT NEW AT THIS.
THIS IS NOT--I'M USED TO SEEING IT, AND--AND...
IT STILL MAKES ME SAD, AND I GUESS I JUST WANT TO FIND STRENGTH AND WAYS FOR US TO BEST HELP THEM.
WE'RE SO BUSY.
YES, YOU ARE.
NONSTOP.
NONSTOP.
SOME DAYS YOU'RE JUST GETTING CALLS LEFT AND RIGHT, AND YOU HAVE MEDICATIONS, AND YOU HAVE SO MANY THINGS.
AND SOMETIMES THERE'S FAMILIES THAT I JUST KNOW NEED MY SUPPORT.
ONE OF THE CHAPLAINS SAYS THAT SHE-- WHEN SHE LEAVES THE DOORS HERE, SHE CALLS IT BLESS AND RELEASE.
YOU KNOW, KIND OF A-- KIND OF A FISHING IMAGE.
LIKE, YOU--YOU CATCH AND RELEASE, BUT YOU KNOW, TO-- TO BLESS ALL THE CHILDREN AND ALL THE WORKERS AND THE FAMILIES-- EVERYONE HERE-- BUT--BUT TO RELEASE THEM INTO THE CARE OF OUR COLLEAGUES.
THESE KIDS ARE SO RESILIENT.
THEY'RE SO FULL OF LIFE, NO MATTER HOW SICK THEY ARE.
THEY-- I THINK THEY CAN TEACH US ADULTS A WHOLE LOT ABOUT LIFE.
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I FIRST RECEIVED WORD THAT THERE WAS A CHILD IN THE NICU WHO WAS ON THE EDGE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.
HE WAS VERY, VERY SICK.
BRADY: I KNOW THAT ISAAC HAS GONE THROUGH SO MUCH.
AND CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE HE--WHERE HE STANDS NOW?
YOU KNOW, HE CAME INTO THE HOSPITAL, UH, AS A HEALTHY BABY, UH, FOUR DAYS OLD, I THINK.
HE WAS FOUR DAYS OLD.
UH, AND, UH... WE THOUGHT HE JUST HAD A CASE OF JAUNDICE.
AND EVERYBODY KIND OF DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS SERIOUS OR NOT.
IN FACT, HE ALMOST WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
BRADY: REALLY?
YEAH.
UM...
HE DEVELOPED, UH, A REALLY KIND OF AGGRESSIVE KIND OF STATE, UH, ON DAY THREE.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, IT KIND OF BECAME OBVIOUS IT WAS A-- AN INFECTION, IT WAS AN AGGRESSIVE VIRAL INFECTION IN THE HEART, THE LIVER, AND THE BRAIN.
UH... AND THAT'S WHEN WE MET YOU, UH... FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, WHEN THINGS STARTED GETTING SCARY.
BRADY, VOICE-OVER: IN THAT MOMENT OF CARING FOR HELENE AND DAVID AS THE PARENTS OF THIS VERY, VERY SICK LITTLE BABY, I RECOGNIZED AND WAS AWARE THAT THEY WERE BOTH PHYSICIANS.
AND THEY ARE USED TO BEING THE ONES WHO ARE PROVIDING THE MEDICAL INTERVENTION.
AND HERE THEY WERE SITTING, HAVING TO WATCH A TEAM OF OTHER DOCTORS AND NURSES TRY TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THEIR BABY.
YOU KNOW, WATCHING YOUR BABY THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT IN WITH NO TUBES, NO I.V.
NOW HAVE, LIKE...
COMPLETELY HEALTHY.
COMPLETELY HEALTHY, HAVING TO GET STUCK FOR A LUMBAR PUNCTURE, I.V.s HERE, I.V.s THERE, PICC LINE HERE, HEMODIALYSIS-- IT'S JUST-- THAT'S SUFFERING, THAT'S PAIN.
AND I FELT VERY GUILTY.
AND I--I--AND I EVEN HAD A MOMENT WHERE I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "WHAT HAVE I DONE?
WHAT HAVE I DONE?
"WE SHOULD--I SHOULD NEVER HAVE BROUGHT HIM IN HERE.
"FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW?
IS--IS IT FUTILE?," AND ALL THIS STUFF.
AND SO--AND THAT'S WHEN I FELT SO GUILTY.
AND I SAID, "IF THIS IS ALL FUTILE, "WHY DID I DO THIS TO MY CHILD?
I SHOULD HAVE JUST KEPT HIM WITH ME."
YOU KNOW?
AND I BEGGED THEM--I SAID, "THE ONE THING I WANT IS, IF HE'S GOING TO GO "AND YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM, "I WANT TO HOLD HIM IN MY ARMS "AND I WANT HIM TO PASS WITH LOVE HOLDING HIM.
I DON'T WANT HIM ON THAT TABLE," AND THAT'S WHAT I ASKED FOR.
AND I--I HAVE--I HAVE A LOT OF GUILT ABOUT HOW MUCH HE'S SUFFERING, AND I KNOW HE'S SUFFERING.
BUT NOW THAT THERE'S HOPE, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT THERE'S HOPE, WE'VE CHANGED HOW WE FEEL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INVASIVE PROCEDURES.
DAVID: YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE THING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SAY, YOU KNOW, "GOD, PLEASE, WHAT'S YOUR PLAN?"
YOU KNOW, IT'S--IS-- "WE KNOW YOU DON'T WANT HIM TO SUFFER.
"WE KNOW YOU KNOW... YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S BEST AND..." HE MADE THE ANSWER VERY CLEAR.
RIGHT.
AND SO, YEAH, WE--WE THOUGHT WE SAW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM...
HE MADE THE ANSWER VERY CLEAR FOR US.
BASICALLY THE NEXT DAY, THINGS HAD KIND OF GOTTEN BETTER, YOU KNOW, ON--ON THEIR OWN.
ON THEIR OWN.
HE'S OPENED HIS EYES AND LOOKED AT YOU.
IS THAT?
YOU'VE-- DAVID: YEAH.
YEAH.
HE'S OPENING HIS EYES RIGHT NOW.
ACTUALLY, WE JUST TOOK A VIDEO ON OUR iPHONE.
HE'S, UH, HE'S IMPROVED A LOT.
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN HIS EYES WHEN YOU LOOK EYE TO EYE?
BECAUSE THAT'S A CONNECTION.
JUST-- I--I THINK HE'S, LIKE, TIRED.
YEAH?
I THINK HE'S TIRED OF THIS.
HE WAS LIKE... "WHAT IS ALL THIS STUFF AROUND ME?
I WANT YOU TO JUST TAKE ME HOME."
AND I WANT--I WANT TO JUST TAKE HIM SO--SO BAD.
YEAH.
YOU--YOU PUT HIM AND YOUR FAMILY IN GOD'S HANDS.
HELENE: I THINK--YEAH.
I'M STILL ON EDGE AND--BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO FEEL LIKE GOD HAS GIVEN US A SECOND CHANCE.
AND THAT'S A COMFORT TO YOU?
DOES THAT ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A SENSE OF--OF PEACE... HELENE: IT DOES.
TOO?
DAVID: YEAH.
TRUST IN THE DOCTORS, TRUST IN GOD.
HELENE: I DO.
YEAH, I DO.
I THINK MY FAITH, FOR SURE, HAS GIVEN ME A SENSE OF PEACE THAT I CAN-- I CAN COME OUT--COME OUT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ULTIMATELY HIS DECISION.
BRADY: I KEEP YOU IN MY PRAYERS.
I KEEP ISAAC IN MY PRAYERS.
YOU GO IN PEACE.
AND I WILL CHECK IN WITH YOU AGAIN.
BUT IF THERE'S A WAY THAT YOU WANT A CHAPLAIN TO COME, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO ALREADY.
WE'RE IN A BETTER PLACE NOW.
BRADY, VOICE-OVER: A MARATHON DOESN'T ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE WHAT A FAMILY GOES THROUGH IF THEIR CHILD IS SO ACUTELY SICK THAT THEY MAY DIE.
A ROLLER COASTER, THE UP AND DOWN OF WHAT A HOSPITALIZATION CAN BE LIKE, DOESN'T ADEQUATELY SUGGEST WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE IS LIKE.
AND FAMILIES, PARENTS-- THEY STRUGGLE TO FIND W-- WORDS AND MAKE SENSE AND MAKE MEANING OF WHAT-- HOW THIS HAS CHANGED THEIR FAMILY, WHAT THEIR FAMILY IS GOING THROUGH.
SO, PEDIATRIC CHAPLAINS SEEK TO ENTER THAT SPACE AS AGENTS OF HEALING, COMFORT, REASSURANCE.
RELIGION HAS ALWAYS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AMERICAN HOSPITALS, BUT OFTEN THERE WERE SEPARATE INSTITUTIONS FOR EACH IMMIGRANT GROUP.
AND AS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, CATHOLICS WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED BY NURSES WHO UNDERSTOOD THEIR RELIGIOUS NEEDS.
IF THEY WERE JEWISH IMMIGRANTS, THEY MIGHT WANT KOSHER FOOD.
THEY MIGHT WANT A RABBI OR-- OR AT LEAST AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RELIGIOUS NEEDS.
IT'S BEEN ESTIMATED THAT BY THE EARLY 1960s, NEARLY A THOUSAND CATHOLIC HOSPITALS HAD BEEN FOUNDED THROUGHOUT AMERICA, AND THEY WERE STAFFED MOSTLY BY NURSING ORDERS.
THERE WAS A WOMAN NAMED MOTHER ALFRED WHO CAME FROM BELGIUM.
SHE WAS A BELGIAN NUN.
SHE ENDED UP IN ROCHESTER AT A SMALL CONVENT.
AND AFTER A TORNADO IN ROCHESTER IN 1887, SHE HAD THE IDEA OF A HOSPITAL THAT WORKED-- WOULD WORK WITH THE MAYO CLINIC, WHICH HAD BEEN FOUNDED IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY.
SHE WENT TO DR. WILLIAM MAYO, THE FOUNDER OF THE CLINIC, AND PRESENTED HER IDEA OF FOUNDING A HOSPITAL TO WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MAYO BROTHERS.
IT GREW RAPIDLY.
IT BECAME THE LARGEST PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN THE UNITED STATES AND, OF COURSE, HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS IN THE WORLD.
AND SO THAT, GRADUALLY, THE NARROW MOTIVATION OF TAKING CARE OF ONE'S OWN AND LEGITIMATING ONE'S OWN COMMUNITY EXPANDED.
AND A LOT OF THE ORIGINALLY RELIGIOUS HOSPITALS NOW LOOK A LOT LIKE THEIR SECULAR COUNTERPARTS, BUT MANY OF THEM STILL HAVE THAT HERITAGE OF BEING FOUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO CARED ABOUT SPIRITUAL VALUES AND CARED ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
FERNGREN: THE 19th CENTURY SAW A LOT OF INTEREST IN WHAT TODAY WE WOULD CALL ALTERNATIVE HEALING.
IT WAS AN ISSUE THAT APPEALED TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING SOME NEW RELIGIOUS GROUPS THAT WERE FORMED IN THE 19th CENTURY, UM, THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS OR THE MORMONS, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, UH, BOTH OF WHOM EARLY IN THEIR HISTORY TOOK ON AN INTEREST IN HEALTH REFORM.
HARRINGTON: THE DEEP CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ROOTS OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE LIE IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY, EARLY TO MID-19th CENTURY.
THEY LIE IN A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE GOING ON, PARTICULARLY IN THE UNITED STATES, AT THIS TIME.
SOME OF THEM HAD TO DO WITH MEDICINE, UH, AND PARTICULARLY WITH THE SEVERE PERCEIVED LIMITATIONS OF MAINSTREAM, ORDINARY MEDICINE, ITS INABILITY TO ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE VERY MUCH.
SO PEOPLE WERE VERY DISCONTENTED WITH MEDICINE.
MAN: MARY BAKER EDDY WAS AN AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADER WHO LIVED FROM 1821 TO 1910.
SHE WAS FROM NEW ENGLAND, GREW UP ON A FARM AS PART OF A LARGE AND RELIGIOUS FAMILY.
SHE BECOMES CONVINCED THAT JESUS' HEALINGS ARE NOT MIRACULOUS IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE.
THEY'RE REAL.
SHE BELIEVES IN THEM AS LITERAL HAPPENINGS IN HISTORY, BUT SHE ALSO BECOMES CONVINCED THAT THEY'RE REPEATABLE.
AND THIS IDEA OF REPEATABILITY, OF RELIABILITY, IS WHY SHE BEGINS TO THINK, I THINK, IN TERMS OF SCIENCE AND CHRISTIANITY.
WOMAN: SHE FELT THAT CHRIST JESUS WAS THE GREATEST PHYSICIAN WHO EVER LIVED.
HE HEALED EVERY KIND OF PHYSICAL PROBLEM THERE WAS-- ACUTE AND CHRONIC, CONGENITAL, HEREDITARY, CONTAGIOUS.
MARY BAKER EDDY FOUND THAT AS SHE FOLLOWED THAT SAME SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF-- OF PRAYER, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LAW OF GOD'S SPIRIT ALONE GOVERNS, SHE, TOO, WAS ABLE TO HEAL.
EVERYBODY CAN STUDY THOSE LAWS OF LIFE--TRUTH AND LOVE-- THOSE COMMANDMENTS, PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE TO FIND THAT HEALTH IS OUR NATURAL STATE.
HARRINGTON: WHAT SHE INSISTED AND WHAT CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS TODAY INSIST IS THAT WE CAN GET OUR BELIEFS RIGHT, THE HEALTH THAT IS ACTUALLY ALWAYS PRESENT IN US WILL BE REALIZED IN OUR LIVES.
WOMAN: AFTER EMANCIPATION, AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE ESSENTIALLY LOCKED OUT OF WHITE HOSPITALS AND THE MEDICAL SERVICES THAT WERE PROVIDED BY THE U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE.
THEREFORE CHURCHES HAD TO ATTEND TO THOSE NEEDS-- TO THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVISM WITHIN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH AND BROADER COMMUNITY.
THESE WOMEN WERE CONCERNED WITH AND HAD THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF CARING FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND THOSE WHO WERE SICK WITHIN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, SO THEY WERE BASICALLY NATURAL LEADERS, UH, WITHIN THIS MOVEMENT.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY CONTINUE, UM, THE LEGACY OF PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVISM THAT BEGAN IN THE 19th CENTURY SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A-- A ROLE IN BETTERING THE LIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS.
♪ ...OOH OOH ♪ ♪ THERE IS A BALM ♪ ♪ IN GILEAD ♪ ♪ TO HEAL ♪ ♪ THE SIN-SICK SOUL... ♪ DELORES FEDRICK, VOICE-OVER: I AM MY CHURCH ORGANIST.
AND W--WITHIN THOSE DUTIES, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PLAYING ALL THROUGH THE CHURCH SERVICE.
AND DURING ALTAR CALL IN OUR CHURCHES, PEOPLE COME UP AND ASK FOR PRAYER-- PRAYER FOR, YOU KNOW, DIABETES AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
AND THEY MIGHT NAME, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES AND ASK THE PASTOR TO PRAY FOR THEM.
PASTOR: AND SO, GOD, AS A COMMUNITY OF FAITH, WE ARE GATHERING, BRINGING OURSELVES TO YOU, SAYING, "LORD, HEAL US AND WE SHALL BE HEALED."
O, GOD THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE BATTLING CANCER.
AND, GOD, THEY NEED YOUR STRENGTH RIGHT NOW.
AND, GOD, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE DEALING WITH THE COMPLICATIONS OF HEART DISEASE.
AND, GOD, THEY NEED YOU, GOD, TO BE A HEART REGULATOR RIGHT NOW IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
SO, GOD, WE THANK YOU RIGHT NOW... FEDRICK, VOICE-OVER: THEY WERE BEING REACTIVE.
AND I WANTED TO SHOW THEM HOW TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THEIR INCIDENCES OF DISEASES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO BE DEALING WITH-- DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART DISEASE--UH, OBESITY, STROKE, CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCERS, JUST TO KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE DISEASES ARE JUST CAUSED BY THE WAY WE EAT.
THEY JUST NEEDED TO LEARN SOME OF THE BASIC TENETS OF NUTRITION, AND THEY WOULD CIRCUMVENT MANY OF THE HEALTH CONCERNS IN THEIR--THEIR FAMILIES, IN--IN OUR CHURCH.
TO KICK START OUR EAT FOR LIFE EFFORTS, I BEGAN TO LINE UP CHURCHES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, TELLING THEM ABOUT THE GOAL THAT WE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE.
I LINED UP MORE THAN 30 CHURCHES IN CHESTER AND YORK COUNTY.
AND THE FIRST ONE TO COME ABOARD WAS REVEREND ANGELA BOYD AT THE METROPOLITAN A.M.E. ZION CHURCH.
I WELCOMED DEE FEDRICK TO COME AND OFFER HEALTHY EATING CLASSES TO THE PARISHIONERS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT IT WOULD HELP THEM IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF EATING WELL SO THAT THERE IS WELLNESS IN THE BODY.
ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT ONE IS TO WATCH YOUR SALT INTAKE.
HOW MUCH SALT SHOULD WE CONSUME A DAY?
ONLY ONE TEASPOON OF SALT PER DAY.
FEDRICK: HOW MANY AGREE WITH THAT?
WOMAN: I DO.
HOW MANY DISAGREE?
HA!
WHY?
YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT?
I LIKE SALT.
[LAUGHTER] IT HELPS MY FOOD GET A--WELL, A STRONGER, YOU KNOW, FLAVOR, YOU KNOW, IT TASTES BETTER TO ME, YOU KNOW.
WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE OTHER THINGS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, OTHER SPICES, WHEREAS OUR CULTURE, WE SEEM TO ONLY THINK THAT THE ONLY SPICE THAT WE HAVE IS SALT.
AND SO WE AND OUR TASTE BUDS ARE LACED WITH SALT.
AND WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER.
JUST LIKE SCRIPTURES.
JUST TALKING ABOUT SCRIPTURES, THERE IS NO CHANGE, BUT WHEN THE SCRIPTURES BECOME ALIVE AND THE SCRIPTURES ARE PRACTICED, THAT'S WHEN THERE'S TRANSFORMATION.
SO WHEN WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT OUR HEALTH AND SEE THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG AND BEGIN TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO CHANGE THEM, THEN CHANGE COMES.
WHAT DOES NUTRITION MEAN TO YOU AS A BELIEVER?
I WILL JUST PRAY THAT THE LORD WOULD GIVE ME THE ENERGY AND THE STRENGTH TO STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR OR SUGARY SODAS.
WOMAN: CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT WE ONLY GET ONE BODY THAT GOD ALLOWS US TO HAVE AND OUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD'S, WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN NUTRITIONALLY TO FEED THIS BODY, NURTURE THIS BODY, AND GIVE IT ALL THE SUBSTANCES THAT IT NEEDS TO BE PRODUCTIVE IN LIFE...
DIFFERENT WOMAN: I LIKE THAT.
AND--AND HONOR GOD.
THIS IS THE WAY I DO-- WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.
[LAUGHTER] BEING BETTER STEWARDS OF--OF OUR BODIES AND WHAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO OUR BODIES, UH, DOES PLEASE GOD AND IS PART OF US HELPING OUR BODIES TO HEAL.
MAN: ♪ YOU DON'T KNOW LIKE I KNOW ♪ CONGREGATION: ♪ KNOW ♪ ♪ WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR ME ♪ ♪ WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME... ♪ BOYD, VOICE-OVER: THROUGH THE EAT FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN WITH DEE FEDRICK, THE CHURCH FAMILY HAS BEEN REPORTING, UH, NOT TAKING THE SAME AMOUNT OF BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINES, EVEN COMING OFF OF BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINES, CHANGE IN THEIR MEDICINES, UH, FOR THOSE WHO WERE ON INSULIN FOR DIABETES.
♪ LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HE DONE ♪ ♪ HE GAVE HIS SON ♪ ♪ GAVE HIS SON ♪ MAN: ♪ YOU CAME TO SAY... ♪ BOYD: AND I WANT TO LET THE LADIES KNOW WHO WEIGHED IN WITH ME-- WE WEIGHED IN IN SEPTEMBER-- I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT PASTOR HAS LOST EIGHT POUNDS.
SO I DON'T KNOW--I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE LOST ANY POUNDS, BUT I'M A LITTLE LESS FLUFFY THAN I WAS.
CONGREGATION: ♪ NEVER LEFT ME ♪ MAN: ♪ HE NEVER LEFT ME ♪ ♪ NEVER LEFT ME... ♪ FEDRICK, VOICE-OVER: WE'VE NOW GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT WE'VE AMASSED AN OUTREACH OF OVER 3,000 PARTICIPANTS.
AND IT CONTINUES TO FLOURISH, AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW.
MAN: ♪ OH, YEAH ♪ ♪ OH, OH, YEAH ♪ ♪ THAT'S WHAT HE'S DONE... ♪ FEDRICK, VOICE-OVER: AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, I JUST WANT MY PEOPLE TO EAT FOR LIFE AND LIVE FOR LIFE.
AMEN.
♪ WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME ♪ MAN: ♪ HE HEALED MY BODY ♪ ♪ HEALED MY BODY ♪ ♪ AND WON MY CASE ♪ ♪ WON MY CASE ♪ ONE OF THE HIGH PRIORITIES TODAY IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS DELIVERING CULTURALLY SENSITIVE HEALTHCARE.
AND THAT INCLUDES, OF COURSE-- CULTURE INCLUDES THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF THE PERSON.
SO, WHAT CULTURALLY SENSITIVE CARE INCLUDES IS HONORING AND RESPECTING AND ACCOMMODATING THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES THAT PATIENTS HAVE.
[WOMAN SINGING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE] BEGAY: PRAYER IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NAVAJO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT LAYS OUT A POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR AN INDIVIDUAL.
THE PROPER TIME TO PRAY IS EARLY IN THE MORNING AT DAWN.
AND DURING THIS TIME, WE ARE TOLD THAT OUR HOLY BEINGS-- OUR ANCESTORS-- THEY ARE CLOSE, THEY ARE NEAR TO US.
AND WE ASK FOR BLESSINGS FOR OURSELF THAT WE'RE HEALTHY, FOR OUR FAMILY, AND FOR OUR WELL-BEING...
SO THAT YOU ARE CONSTANTLY VERBALIZING, YOU'RE VOCALIZING HEALTH FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR HOME.
[SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE] BEGAY: OUR HISTORY GOES EONS, FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME, AND HOW LIVING THINGS SUBSIST AND HOW THEY GO AWAY.
THAT IS HOW WE UNDERSTAND THE WORLD.
AND THAT IS A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING, DIFFERENT PRACTICES, BUT THESE PRACTICES ARE WHAT GENERATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE WERE RAISED WITH AND LIVE WITH.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THE WESTERN HOSPITAL WITH IMMEDIATE SCIENCE AND INVESTIGATIONS IN ORDER TO TREAT ILLNESS, IT'S VERY FOREIGN.
AND SO WE NEED TO INCORPORATE THINGS THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
THE OFFICE OF NATIVE MEDICINE WAS ESTABLISHED BECAUSE NAVAJO PEOPLE UTILIZE THE GALLUP INDIAN MEDICAL CENTER.
AND MY ROLE IS TO HELP PATIENTS UNDERSTAND BOTH NATIVE MEDICINE, WHICH I PROMOTE AND I PROVIDE TO PATIENTS, AND I HELP THEM ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR WHAT THEY'RE RECEIVING WITH WESTERN MEDICINE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BECOME HEALTHY AGAIN, TO HELP THEM HEAL.
PATIENTS ACCESS OUR CARE BY REFERRAL ONLY.
WE'RE A SPECIALTY CLINIC, AND SO THEY RECEIVE A REFERRAL FROM THEIR DOCTOR OR THEIR MEDICAL PROVIDER.
HERE'S THAT CONSULT I WAS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT.
UM, SO THIS IS A PATIENT.
UH...
HE'S 56 YEARS OLD, AND HE'S UP ON THREE...WEST RIGHT NOW.
AND HE CAME IN WITH-- HE HAS A HISTORY OF, UM, LIVER DISEASE, UM, PRETTY BAD.
AND HE HAS, UM, A PROBLEM WHERE HE IS NOT CLOTTING HIS BLOOD VERY--VERY PROPERLY AND HAS BEEN HAVING A LOT OF NOSE BLEEDS.
I'M REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, HE'S SEEMED A LOT MORE, UM, DEPRESSED.
HE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HE'S GETTING BETTER IN THE HOSPITAL.
HE SAYS THAT--THAT HIS POWER IS AT HOME, HE NEEDS TO BE HOME SO HE CAN GET BETTER.
UM, HE DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS--AS VERY TRADITIONAL, UM, AND HE--HE SAID THAT, UM, HE-- HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY KIND OF THE WESTERN CAUSE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH HIS LIVER.
WHAT DOES HE FEEL LIKE IS GOING ON?
HE THINKS A LOT OF IT WAS CAUSED FROM E-- FROM A SNAKE THAT HE CAME INTO AN ENCOUNTER WITH.
SNAKES DON'T CAUSE BLOODY NOSE, BUT, YOU KNOW, HIS OTHER SYMPTOMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE SWELLING THAT COULD BE CAUSED FROM SNAKES.
I FEEL LIKE HE WOULD DO REALLY WELL TO HAVE A--A CONSULT FROM THE OFFICE OF NATIVE MEDICINE.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY BIG AND IMPORTANT FOR HIM, UM, AND I WAS REALLY HOPING YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE HIM.
I'LL COME OVER AND TALK WITH HIM AND--AND...
DOCTOR, VOICE-OVER: IN RESIDENCY, WE'RE ALL TAUGHT THE IDEA OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, BUT IT'S EASY TO STEP THROUGH THAT AND FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING UNTIL YOU'RE OUT IN THE FIELD.
AND I FEEL LIKE MY JOURNEY HERE-- I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS-- HAS BEEN ONE OF A SLOW LEARNING PROCESS.
PEOPLE COME IN THINKING THAT TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IS NOT-- IS ALMOST LIKE A, IS JUST QUOTE...UNQUOTE-- JUST--AND I'M SAYING THIS-- I DON'T WANT TO OFFEND ANYBODY BY SAYING THIS BUT THIS IDEA THAT THEY'RE JUST--IT'S JUST RITUALS, THAT THERE'S NOTHING BEHIND IT.
BUT WE SEE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME THAT GO AND GET PRACTICES DONE.
AND IT--IT CAN BE A VERY POWERFUL TOOL TO HELP PEOPLE.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THIS MEDICINE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG, LONG TIME-- SOMETHING MUST BE WORKING WITH IT-- AND WE SEE IT EVERY DAY THAT IT DOES, AND--AND WE RESPECT IT.
BEGAY: THE GALLUP INDIAN MEDICAL CENTER HAS A HOGAN.
AND THIS IS THE DIRECT PATIENT CARE AREA WHERE I PERFORM CEREMONY FOR PATIENTS THAT UTILIZE OUR FACILITY.
IN THE CENTER IS THE FIREPLACE.
AND THAT'S THE HEART OF THE HOME.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS.
THIS IS WHERE WE BUILD A FIRE.
WE NEED FIRE.
FIRE IS AN ELEMENT THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS REQUIRED FOR HUMAN LIFE.
UP ABOVE IS THE CHIMNEY, THE SMOKE HOLE.
WE CALL THAT CH'ILAYI' AND A HOME HAS TO HAVE THIS HOLE.
THIS IS LIKE A WINDOW FROM ABOVE WHERE THE SUN WATCHES US, THE MOON WATCHES US, THE STARS WATCH US.
WE HAVE TO HAVE DIRT.
THIS IS A DIRT FLOOR.
THE DIRT REPRESENTS THE EARTH WHICH IS OUR MOTHER.
AND SO WE ARE TAPPING INTO ALL OF THE UNIVERSE THAT WE UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO PROVIDE TREATMENTS FOR A PATIENT.
DIFFERENT FORCES OCCUPY THE DAYTIME AND THE NIGHTTIME.
AND SO WHEN AILMENTS, WHEN SICKNESS OCCURS DEPENDING ON WHERE THE SUN IS IN THE SKY OR IF IT'S NOT IN THE SKY AT ALL, THEN WE CAN ATTRIBUTE THOSE IMBALANCES TO THE FORCES THAT EXIST IN THAT TIME.
AND SO SOMETIMES A NAVAJO PERSON CAN COME IN HERE AND SAY, "I JUST HAVE THESE THROBBING HEADACHES.
THEY DON'T GO AWAY," AND WHEN SOMEBODY DESCRIBES THEM, THEY'LL ALWAYS DESCRIBE IT ACCORDING TO THE SUN'S JOURNEY.
WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE SUN.
AND THE PATIENT SITS HERE JUST LIKE THEY WOULD HAVE TO SIT ON THE EXAM TABLE IN A PHYSICIAN'S EXAM ROOM.
JUST AS A PHYSICIAN HAS A STETHOSCOPE TO LISTEN TO THE HEART RHYTHM OF THEIR PATIENTS, I HAVE MY OWN TOOLS.
AND IN OUR LANGUAGE WE CALL TOOLS "JISH."
THIS IS WHAT WE COMMONLY REFER TO AS THE MEDICINE BUNDLE.
IN HERE ARE THE MEDICINAL PLANTS THAT WE UTILIZE TO ADMINISTER TO PATIENTS AS MEDICINE.
THIS IS MY AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE PATIENT CARE, TO PROVIDE CEREMONY TO NAVAJO PEOPLE.
[CHANTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE] BEGAY: I CAN'T WRITE A PRESCRIPTION TO THE PHARMACY FOR A NAVAJO PATIENT TO GO GET MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR THEIR USE, SO I HAVE TO LEAVE THE FACILITY AND GO INTO THE ENVIRONMENT TO WHERE THEY OCCUR NATURALLY.
IN NAVAJO WE SAY THAT OUR PLANTS ARE LIKE US-- THEY ARE ALIVE AND THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS.
[SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE] I HAVE TO PAY THE PLANT IN ORDER TO USE IT IN A MANNER TO HELP HEAL.
MY JOB IS A PROXY.
I AM NOT THE HEALER.
THE FORCES THAT WE LIVE WITH, THEY HEAL.
AND SO, A TOOL, THIS IS A RATTLE.
THIS HELPS ME COMMUNICATE TO THE FORCES THAT THERE IS A PERSON ON THIS EARTH THAT NEEDS HEALING, THAT NEEDS ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO PUT THEIR LIFE BACK, IN ORDER TO GET RID OF ILLNESS.
AND WE HAVE A WHOLE CEREMONY WHICH WE CALL THE BLESSINGWAY, AND THAT WHOLE CEREMONY IS ALL ABOUT POSITIVE, PROPER LIVING IN ORDER TO GAIN THE GOAL OF SEEING OLD AGE.
[SINGING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE] THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
AND IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE, I MOVE ABOUT AND I EXIST.
AND SO WHEN YOU SING THESE WORDS TO A PATIENT WHO IS SICK, WHO IS DEPRESSED, WHO IS DOWN AND YOU GIVE THEM THESE RHYTHMS AND PUT A POSITIVE UNDERSTANDING BACK INTO THEIR MIND, IT HELPS THEM HEAL, IT HELPS THEM FIND BALANCE.
THIS IS OUR REALITY.
THIS IS OUR WORLD VIEW.
THIS IS OUR MEDICINE, AND IT'S COMPARABLE TO THE WESTERN WORLD VIEW TO WHERE THEY'RE BASING THEIR MEDICINE ON FACTS, ON SCIENCE.
WESTERN UNDERSTANDING VALUES THIS.
THIS IS WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.
AND SO FOR NAVAJOS AND NATIVES HERE AT THE GALLUP INDIAN MEDICAL CENTER, OUR VALUES AREN'T ON FACTS, OUR VALUES ARE NOT ON SCIENCE.
OUR VALUES ARE ABOUT OUR SYSTEMS OF LIVING.
AND SO TO COMPLEMENT THESE TWO DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS IS THE CHALLENGE I WORK WITH EVERY DAY.
[MAN CHANTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE] IMAM FATHI KHALFI: BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISLAM, THE BLESSINGS OF ALLAH SUBHANAHU WA TA'ALA UPON HIS SERVANTS ARE COUNTLESS.
AND ONE OF THE GREATEST BLESSINGS OF ALLAH UPON HIS SERVANTS IS THE BLESSING OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS, BECAUSE WITH GOOD HEALTH, A PERSON CAN MAINTAIN A BLISSFUL, STABLE LIFE.
THE PROPHET ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE IDEA THAT OUR BODIES ARE EXTREMELY SACRED TO US, THAT WE MUST BE PROTECTING THESE BODIES, THAT THESE BODIES ARE A GIFT FROM GOD, YOUR SUGAR LEVEL IS GOOD.
MUST BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF...
I'M TAKING SOME, UH, SOME BLOOD PRESSURE... OK. TABLETS...
DOCTOR: THE PROPHET FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION... ON YOUR MARKS!
ON YOUR MARKS...
DOCTOR: FOCUSING ON THE PHYSICAL ELEMENT OF HEALTH, AND FOCUSING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF REALLY TRYING TO HEAL YOURSELF PHYSICALLY.
PRACTICALLY SPEAKING I THINK THE TWO MOST COMMON ISSUES THAT COME UP WHEN YOU TAKE CARE OF MUSLIM PATIENTS, UM, IN HOSPITALS ACROSS THE WORLD IS THE ISSUE OF MODESTY AND THE ISSUE OF FASTING RAMADAN.
LET'S FOCUS ON MODESTY FOR A SECOND.
SO MODESTY IS SOMETHING THAT MUSLIM PATIENTS, UH, FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT-- THE IDEA THAT M--OFTEN YOU WILL HAVE MUSLIM PATIENTS THAT SAY TO YOU THAT "I WOULD LIKE TO BE EXAMINED..." BY PHYSICIANS OF THE SAME GENDER, FOR EXAMPLE.
IF THE PATIENT FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE HAVING A SAME GENDER PROVIDER, THAT IS OK PROVIDED YOU ARE IN A SETTING THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT.
RAMADAN IS ABOUT SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION, A SELF-PURIFICATION PROCESS, IF YOU WILL.
IT'S A WAY TO GET CLOSER TO GOD, WHICH BECOMES REALLY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE A MUSLIM PATIENT WHO IS TRYING TO FAST RAMADAN IS THEIR WAY OF CONNECTING WITH GOD AND FINDING WAYS TO DEAL WITH THEIR ILLNESS AND SUFFERING.
YET THE MUSLIM STANCE ON FASTING RAMADAN, IF YOU ARE A MUSLIM PATIENT AND YOU ARE SICK, IS VERY CLEAR.
MAJORITY--THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF MUSLIM SCHOLARS ENCOURAGE PATIENTS WHO ARE ILL TO BREAK THEIR FAST.
[MAN CHANTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE] AREEJ EL-JAWAHRI: PRAYER IS USED OFTEN BY MUSLIMS.
THE ACTION OF PRAYING FOR A MUSLIM PATIENT INVOLVES MOVING ALMOST EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY--EVERY SINGLE JOINT.
YOUR HEART RATE GOES UP, YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSE, UH, YOU ARE USING YOUR JOINTS.
ALL OF THIS EXERCISE IS A PHYSICAL EXERCISE TO THE BODY IN SOME WAYS.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENT TO PRAYER-- THE IDEA THAT IT'S A FORM OF MEDITATION, THAT IT WOULD TAKE YOUR MIND OFF YOUR PHYSICAL AILMENT, THAT IT WOULD GET YOU CLOSER TO GOD AND, BY DOING SO, YOU FORGET ABOUT THE PAIN AND THE SUFFERING PHYSICALLY.
IT'S A WAY OF PURIFYING YOUR MIND AND PURIFYING YOUR HEART.
PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY, THE COMBINATION IS SO POWERFUL FOR A MUSLIM PATIENT.
IMAM FATHI KHALFI: THE PROPHET-- PEACE BE UPON HIM-- SAID, ALLAH HAS NOT SENT DOWN A DISEASE EXCEPT HE ALSO SENT ITS CURE OR ITS TREATMENT.
SO ISLAM AND MEDICINE IN SOME WAYS ARE SO INTERCHANGEABLE BECAUSE THEY CARRY TOGETHER THE SAME MORAL VALUES AND THE MORAL ETHICS THAT ARE SO ESSENTIAL FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AS HUMAN BEINGS.
[HARPIST PLAYING LULLABY] MAN, VOICE-OVER: I'M A NEONATOLOGIST, A NEONATOLOGIST BEING PHYSICIAN WHO TAKES CARE OF SICK NEWBORN BABIES IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
THE INFLUENCE OF HINDU RELIGION GOES THROUGH ALMOST EVERY ACTION THAT I DO.
EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT A PRACTITIONER OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE, I UNDERSTAND AND--THE VALUES OF THAT PART OF THE HOLISTIC MEDICINE AS WELL-- IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN ME.
IN TERMS OF, UH, MEDICAL CARE, HEALTHCARE, AND RELIGION IN HINDUISM, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
"AYU" MEANS AYUSH: LIFE.
AND VEDA MEANS "KNOWLEDGE."
SO IT IS KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE.
THERE ARE EIGHT MAJOR DIVISIONS OF AYURVEDA, INCLUDING, LIKE, INTERNAL MEDICINE, OBSTETRICS, PEDIATRICS, SURGERY.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE NEUROSURGERY, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF IN THOSE YEARS?
AND SO THIS IS HISTORICALLY ONE OF THE LONGEST RUNNING CARE THAT IS BEING GIVEN-- SIMILAR TO CHINESE MEDICINE-- THAT IS DONE.
OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS MY PRACTICE IS THAT OF WESTERN MEDICINE.
I AM COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT IT IS THAT BABY AND THE PARENTS' RELIGION THAT MATTERS.
IT IS WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE IN TERMS OF THEIR CRISIS THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH WITH THEIR BABY BEING SICK IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
SUBRAMANIAN: YOU KNOW, PETER PROBABLY WILL GO HOME FIRST.
WOMAN: YES.
YES...
RIGHT?
YOU ARE READY AND PREPARED?
WOMAN: WHAT DO YOU THINK, LIKE A WEEK FROM TODAY OR TWO WEEKS OR...?
YOU KNOW, I STOPPED IN THE PREDICTING BUSINESS... OK. QUITE SOMETIME AGO...
THE BABIES SURPRISE ME IN EITHER DIRECTION.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT--TOTALLY DIDN'T IGNORE DAD.
OH, HE'S ENJOYING HIMSELF, HOLDING... WHAT--WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, I KNOW.
NO QUESTIONS.
HE LOOKS-- I MEAN, THEY LOOK TO BE IMPROVING, AND THAT'S ALL THAT I CAN TELL.
EXACTLY.
SO YOU GUYS ARE TAKING GOOD CARE OF THEM.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE MANY OF THESE BABIES ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY IN GROWING, PUTTING ON PROPER WEIGHT, HAVING SOME OF THOSE RESIDUAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS CONTINUE.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS, ONE SUCH INTERVENTION THAT SEEMED TO HAVE SOME EFFECT, ALBEIT THE EVIDENCE IS AT THIS POINT IS EMERGING, IS IN TERMS OF MUSIC.
THROUGH MY MUSIC, EH-- THE CONNECTION THAT I CREATE WITH THE BABIES, I CREATE A HEALING SPACE FOR THEM.
WOMAN: JUST LISTENING TO THE SOOTHING MUSIC AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE HOLDING ONE OF THE BABIES IS, YOU KNOW, MAKES YOU REFLECT ON HOW SPECIAL THEY ARE AND, UM, HOW GRATEFUL THAT THEY'RE HERE AND THEY'RE HEALTHY, SO...
DIFFERENT WOMAN: TODAY I FIND MYSELF.
AND IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR ME THAT I HAPPENED TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL ON A DAY WHEN THE HARPIST WAS PLAYING, SO THAT WAS TREMENDOUS.
I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD FORTUNE FOR ME.
AND AS A BUDDHIST, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH ENCOUNTERS--GOOD ENCOUNTERS-- THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, YOU CONNECT.
SO I AM ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE HARPIST.
SUBRAMANIAN: MUSIC AS A COMPONENT IN MY SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF HINDUISM IS SOMETHING THAT IS INCORPORATED.
THE CHANTING IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO, AND FOR MANY OF OUR PRAYERS, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALL VIBRATIONS.
IT IS SOUND, AND THAT SOUND AND VIBRATION HAS SIGNIFICANT EFFECT THAT HAS BEEN STUDIED IN TERMS OF IN PEOPLE'S GENERAL WELL-BEING BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, INNER PEACE.
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I FEEL WELL.
OK. HOW'S YOUR WALKING?
MM, IT'S THE SAME.
STILL?
NURSE, VOICE-OVER: AS A PARISH NURSE, I ASSIST THE PRIEST WHEN WE DO HOME VISITS.
HE DOES THE SPIRITUAL PART.
HE BRINGS THE COMMUNION.
HE DOES THE PRAYERS.
I PRAY ALONG WITH HIM, BUT I AM THERE TO LISTEN.
AND IF THEY HAVE ANY MEDICAL QUESTIONS, I CAN ANSWER THEM.
FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY, INTERFAITH PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING.
AND IT'S GOT REALLY TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
IF YOU LOOK AT ONE PERSPECTIVE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A PROFESSIONAL NURSE IN PRACTICE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE, IT'S HEALTH MINISTRY.
IT'S PRESENCE.
IT'S BEING.
IT'S NOT THE DOING OF NURSING; IT'S THE BEING OF PRESENCE.
I THINK, UH, WITHOUT QUESTION WHENEVER YOU'RE VISITING SOMEONE, UH, ON A PASTORAL LEVEL TO HAVE A MEDICAL PERSON WITH YOU, UM, A FAITH COMMUNITY NURSE WITH YOU, I THINK, IS AN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE WALKING IN NOT ONLY FROM THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE, WHICH, OBVIOUSLY, I CAN DO WELL BUT THEN THE MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE, WHICH I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT.
HEY, WELCOME TO MY HOME.
HI.
HOW ARE YOU, FRED?
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I'VE HAD GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS.
YEAH.
OK. CARR: HI.
HOW ARE YOU?
GOD BLESS YOU, FATHER.
THANKS FOR COMING.
HI.
HOW ARE YOU?
I'M GOOD, THANKS.
HOW YOU DOING?
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH YOU ALL.
CARR, VOICE-OVER: WHEN WE DO THESE VISITS, WE'RE GIVING COMMUNION TO THE SICK.
IN THE CATHOLIC FAITH, THE HOST, WHICH IS THE COMMUNION, WE BELIEVE, IS THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.
SO LITERALLY I AM BRINGING PEOPLE THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, TO CATHOLICS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK, BECAUSE WHAT--WHAT WE'RE LITERALLY DOING IS SAYING CHRIST IS PRESENT WITH YOU AT THIS TIME.
WHEN WE VISITED FRED TODAY, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HIS PARKINSON'S DISEASE, AND HE APPEARED TO HANDLE IT QUITE NICELY, BEING ABLE TO TALK TO US ABOUT IT.
I TAKE SO MUCH MEDICATION THAT I--I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME BETTER RESULTS... LOGAN: YEAH.
BUT I--I TAKE WHAT I GET.
I DON'T THINK THEY'VE COME UP WITH ANYTHING THAT IS AS EFFECTIVE AS WHAT YOU'RE ON NOW.
SO THEY SAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH PARKINSON'S, THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE LEVODOPA, WHICH IS THE MAIN ONE THAT WILL STOP THE TREMORS.
WOMAN: MY FATHER IN PARTICULAR, WOULD WALK OVER TO MASS WHEN HE WAS ABLE-BODIED AND WHETHER IT WAS ON A DAILY BASIS OR JUST SUNDAYS, AND AS HE COULDN'T WALK AS FAR ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN THIS PROGRAM CAME ABOUT, IT DID MEAN A LOT TO HIM.
IT WAS A CONNECTION BACK TO THE LOCAL PARISH AND THE CHURCH.
OH, I--I WOULD HATE TO NOT HAVE MY FAITH.
IT--IT HELPS YOU GET OVER HURDLES.
CARR, VOICE-OVER: I'M A GUY.
AND GUYS TEND TO, YOU KNOW, THEY ALWAYS SAY GUYS TEND TO FIX THINGS, SO I'M GOING TO COME IN, I'M GOING TO GIVE THE COMMUNION AND GIVE THE ANOINTING.
BADA BING, BADA BOOM, I'M DONE.
AND THEN I LEAVE, BUT THE NURSE AND THE WOMAN IS THERE TO SAY "NO, LET US BE A LOT MORE NURTURING IN THIS WAY," AND SHE CAN RESPOND IN WAYS THAT I CAN'T.
OK...
IN THE UNITED STATES, UH, THE HOSPICE MOVEMENT, UH, BEGAN AS A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT, UM, OF THE SURVIVORS OF PATIENTS WHO HAD DIED, AND NURSES BECAUSE DOCTORS SIMPLY IN THEIR EXPERIENCE WERE NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE REAL NEEDS OF--OF DYING PATIENTS.
LARGELY THIS WAS A FEW DOCS, A LOT OF NURSES, AND A LOT OF FAMILIES WHO GOT TOGETHER AND TRIED TO HELP PEOPLE WHO WERE DYING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO DIE AT HOME, TO DIE IN COMFORT, TO DIE WITH DIGNITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE BEING TREATED AS WHOLE PATIENTS, TO HAVE CHAPLAINS VISITING THEM.
YOU WERE BORN A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
WHEN I FIRST MET YOU, IT WAS A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO AT THE HOSPITAL...
RIGHT.
AND YOU WERE QUITE ILL.
RIGHT.
AND WE MET A COUPLE OF TIMES.
LIKE, VERY ILL. AND I CAN REMEMBER AT THOSE TIMES, I DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD BE HERE AT THIS MOMENT, DID YOU?
MAN: NO.
MM-HMM.
"THAT'S THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN.
"THAT'S THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN."
YEAH.
WHO SHALL LIVE AND WHO SHALL DIE AND IT'S NOT UP TO ANY OF US.
IT'S UP TO...?
NO.
IT'S UP TO THE GOOD LORD.
WE KNOW THAT OUR LIFE IS FINITE, SO WHENEVER THAT MOMENT COMES... YOU'RE READY.
I'M READY...
I, UH... FELDSTEIN: WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE PLEASED ABOUT OR PROUD ABOUT OR GRATEFUL FOR?
YEAH.
HOW IS THIS-- HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH SAM BEING IN YOUR HOUSE AND AT THIS STAGE?
HOW IS THAT FOR YOU?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU?
BECAUSE HE HAS HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL LIFE AND, UM, HAS LIVED IT BEAUTIFULLY, UM, I WOULD--I STRUGGLE WITH THE FACT THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM STRUGGLE DURING THIS LAST PART.
I--YOU KNOW, I WOULD HOPE FOR HIM PEACE, AND... YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD REALLY BE MY WISH... FELDSTEIN: YEAH.
BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE SEEING HIM STRUGGLE.
DAD, YOU KNOW, I--I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT'S A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU WORRY ABOUT-- AT THAT.
YOU WORRY THAT WE'RE NOT LIVING OUR OWN LIVES, BUT I COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER WAY TO LIVE--LIVE THESE TIMES WITH YOU.
SAM: THEY...THEY...
FELDSTEIN: YEAH.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS, FOR YOUR SON-IN-LAW FOR AFTER YOU'RE GONE?
FELDSTEIN: TO LIVE.
YEAH.
FELDSTEIN: I WANT TO THANK YOU.
I ALWAYS APPRECIATE COMING TO SIT WITH YOU.
SAM, WHEN YOU TALK, YOU IMPRINT ON MY HEART.
[CHUCKLES] YEAH?
[LAUGHTER] SO IT'S POSSIBLE FOR A PERSON NEVER TO BE CURED OF AN ILLNESS BUT TO EXPERIENCE THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF A LARGER LIFE, A GREATER LOVE, A GREATER GRATITUDE, A GREATER PASSION, A GREATER APPRECIATION OF THE-- OF LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS.
HOW'S YOUR SPIRITS TODAY?
IT'S BEEN A LITTLE STRANGE... YEAH?
BECAUSE I FOUND OUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS MORNING THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO WALK.
MY FEET ARE EITHER TOO PUFF--TOO PUFFY OR I DON'T HAVE THE BALANCE OR THE NEUROLOGICAL CONTROL, AND THAT UP--IS QUITE A CONCERN FOR ME.
SO THAT'S BEEN VERY FRIGHTENING AND DEBILITATING, OBVIOUSLY.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I'M THINKING ONLY GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT LEAVING AND MY HOME [VOICE CRACKS] AND MY FRIENDS... AND THINGS I LOVE TO DO AND--ENTERTAINING AND HAVING PEOPLE COME OVER AND JUST SHARING THEIR LIVES WITH ME.
I--I'LL TELL YOU, THE KIND OF STRENGTH THAT SHE COMES FROM.
THE DAY THAT SHE GOT THE DIAGNOSIS THAT SHE HAS INCURABLE CANCER WAS THE DAY BEFORE OUR 48th ANNIVERSARY, ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, AND WE WALKED OUT TO THE CAR.
AND THE FIRST THING SHE SAID TO ME IS, "I'M GOING TO FIGHT THIS EVERY WAY I CAN, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT WITH HUMOR."
HMM.
AND THAT EVENING SHE WROTE IN HER JOURNAL...
UH, SHE DID A DRAWING OF HOW SHE PICTURED HERSELF AS A WARRIOR, AND SHE WROTE DOWN, "I AM THE WARRIOR OF GRACE, STRENGTH, AND HUMOR."
AND THAT--THAT'S BEEN A CONSISTENCY FOR HER EVEN IN THE LOW MOMENTS.
I DON'T GIVE IN.
I DON'T GIVE IN.
I'M NOT SPECIAL.
I JUST HAVE SOME SPECIAL ISSUES TO DEAL WITH.
FELDSTEIN: AND SPECIAL PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY... YEAH.
TO ACCOMPANY YOU.
YEAH?
YES.
OH, YEAH.
ALWAYS.
ALWAYS.
HE'S MY EVERYTHING.
OH.
HE KNOWS THAT.
FELDSTEIN: YOU KNOW, I'M-- I'M SO TOUCHED TO JUST SEE THE, UH, THE LOVE THAT YOU TWO HAVE FOR EACH OTHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT-- WHAT IS THAT WORD ANYWAYS?
YOU KNOW, THAT--THAT CONNECTION THAT YOU HAVE.
IT'S, UH-- I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT'S LIKE A MEDICINE THAT DOESN'T COME IN THE I.V.s.
MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW?
BUT IT'S A MEDICINE THAT-- THAT JUST KEEPS FLOWING BOTH WAYS... WOMAN: MM-HMM.
AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
YEAH.
SO I WANT TO BLESS YOU.
I WANT TO BLESS YOUR LOVE.
AND WHAT ELSE CAN I BLESS YOU FOR?
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO MEAN FOR YOU OR FOR STEVEN OR FOR ANYTHING?
A SENSE OF TOTAL PEACE... NO ACRIMONY OF ANY KIND... JOY WITH EACH DAY... LOVE FOR EVERYTHING...
SEEING THE GOOD IN EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY... AND BEING LOVED BY STEVEN AND DANIEL AND EVERYONE WHO MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
FELDSTEIN: MM, MM.
HOW ABOUT FOR YOU?
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO MEAN FOR YOUR WIFE, FOR YOU, FOR ANYONE, ANYTHING?
[CLEARS THROAT] YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME WHERE YOU BECOME ONE VOICE, AND THAT--THAT WAS IT.
WOW.
I--EVERY WORD SHE SAID, IT'S AS IF IT COULD HAVE COME FROM MY HEART.
WOW.
REMEN: DARK TIMES ARE OFTEN TIMES OF DISCOVERY.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN DISEASE FORCES US OUT OF OUR USUAL WAY OF DEFINING OURSELVES, OUR HABITS OF BEING AND DOING.
UM, WE ARE CAST ADRIFT FROM OUR USUAL LIVES.
AND IN THAT UNCERTAINTY AND A LACK OF SELF-KNOWING, WE MAY DISCOVER WHO WE REALLY ARE.
MARILYN MARTONE: IT WAS A RAINY DAY.
IT WAS ABOUT 7:00 AT NIGHT WHEN THE PHONE RANG.
AND MY HUSBAND ANSWERED THE PHONE, AND ALL HE KEPT SAYING WAS, "WHAT?
WHAT?"
HE REALLY COULDN'T PROCESS WHAT WAS BEING SAID TO HIM.
AND HE SAID, "I'LL HAVE TO TURN THE PHONE OVER TO MY WIFE."
AND HE GAVE ME THE PHONE.
AND ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE, UH, WAS A PHYSICIAN FROM COOK COUNTY HOSPITAL IN CHICAGO INFORMING US THAT OUR DAUGHTER HAD BEEN HIT BY A CAR.
THE WORDS THAT STAND OUT IN MY MIND WAS THAT HER BRAIN HAD BEEN AFFECTED, THEY WERE RUSHING HER IN FOR SURGERY, AND SHE WAS ON A VENTILATOR.
AND, UH, IT WAS A LONG JOURNEY--HA HA!-- LONG JOURNEY, UM, AFTER THAT.
SHE HAD TEN BRAIN SURGERIES ALTOGETHER.
UH, SHE ALSO HAD A RESPIRATOR.
SHE HAD A GASTROSTOMY TUBE PUT IN HER STOMACH FOR FEEDING.
UH, SHE ALMOST DIED QUITE A FEW TIMES.
I MEAN, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, UH, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING POSED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WERE, "IS IT EVEN WORTH IT?"
YOU KNOW, "WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE?
WHAT ARE WE DOING?"
BUT THIS WAS MY DAUGHTER.
AND IT WAS MY ATTACHMENTS TO MY DAUGHTER THAT MADE ME REALIZE I NEEDED TO BRING HER HOME.
I NEEDED TO FIND A WAY TO CARE FOR HER.
REMEMBER THE QUAD?
YOU REMEMBER BEING HERE?
MICHELLE: I DEFINITELY DO.
AND, REMEMBER, YOU DID GRADUATE, BUT YOU--DADDY HAD TO COME OUT AND GET YOUR DEGREE?
MICHELLE: BECAUSE I WAS PROBABLY ASLEEP.
YOU WERE STILL UNCONSCIOUS.
YOU WERE STILL UNCONSCIOUS WHEN YOU GOT YOUR DEGREE BUT YOU'RE VERY LUCKY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.
WOW!
GOD, THANK YOU FOR... AND EVERY DAY YOU THANK GOD YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, RIGHT?
YES, I DO, HUH!
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
NO.
AND HERE YOU ARE.
AND NOW YOU'RE BACK AT THE UNIVERSITY.
EVEN THOUGH I'M IN A WHEELCHAIR.
EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR.
IS THAT THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD?
NO.
NO.
MARILYN, VOICE-OVER: THERE'S 1.6 MILLION PERSONS WHO SUFFER A BRAIN INJURY EVERY YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS SO OFTEN THE CAREGIVING, UH, OF A BRAIN-INJURED PERSON BECOMES SO CONSUMING THAT THERE'S NO ONE TO SPEAK FOR THEM.
SO, I BASICALLY TRIED TO PUT A TEAM TOGETHER FOR MY DAUGHTER, TAKE CARE OF HER AT HOME, GET THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE.
THERE WAS A LAWSUIT, AND THERE WERE FINANCIAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO CARE FOR HER.
NOT EVERY FAMILY HAS THOSE RESOURCES.
WOMAN, VOICE-OVER: SHE IS A JOY TO BE WITH.
SHE REALLY IS.
WE KEEP LAUGHING AND TALKING ALL THE TIME.
JOSE OK!
I'M A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST.
PATIENCE IS ONE OF MY THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED.
YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT.
YOU HAVE TO BE LOVING.
YOU HAVE TO BE KIND TO PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT ALSO HELPED ME A LOT TO DEAL WITH MICHELLE.
ON YOUR FEET, ON YOUR FEET.
COME ON.
THAT'S IT.
GOOD GIRL.
THANK YOU.
OK.
HOLD ON.
MICHELLE IS MORE LIKE A DAUGHTER TO ME THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
I WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER MYSELF AS A CAREGIVER TO HER.
MORE SO, I PREFER IF I'M RECOGNIZED LIKE ONE OF HER MOTHERS.
I SHOW HER A LOT OF LOVE, AND SHE KNOWS THAT.
THANK YOU.
NAP UNTIL PAM GETS HERE.
MARILYN, VOICE-OVER: I THINK SPIRITUALLY WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREGIVING.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, TAKING CARE OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING WHO CAN'T TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF OR DOING TRADING ON WALL STREET?
AND YET ONE HAS MUCH HIGHER RETURNS FINANCIALLY THAN THE OTHER.
WE UNDERPAY PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVERS AND YET WE ENTRUST OUR CHILDREN TO THEM, OUR--OUR LOVED ONES TO THEM, OUR-- OUR SICK FAMILY MEMBERS TO THEM, AND EXPECT THEM TO DO IT AT VERY LOW WAGES, AND YET I CAN'T THINK OF ANY MORE IMPORTANT-- AND I WOULD TERM IT SPIRITUAL WORK THAT WE COULD DO THAN CARE FOR ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
BOTH: ♪ I AM SURROUNDED BY LOVE ♪ ♪ LOVE IS WITHIN ME ♪ ♪ LOVE IS WITHIN YOU ♪ ♪ I AM SURROUNDED BY LOVE... ♪ SINGER, VOICE-OVER: SO I WAS CALLED IN AS THE MUSIC THERAPIST TO WORK WITH HER.
AND, UM, WE STARTED--WHEN I STARTED ASSESSING HER, UH, THE FIRST THING SHE TOLD ME WAS THAT SHE COULDN'T SING.
AND SHE WASN'T SURE HOW THIS WAS GOING TO GO.
HER LONG-TERM MEMORY WAS VERY MUCH INTACT.
UM... AS WE WENT FORWARD, I WANTED TO START WORKING ON HER SHORT-TERM MEMORY AND SEE IF WE COULD MAKE SOME STRIDES IN ACQUIRING NEW MEMORY AND RETAINING IT AND SEE IF THIS COULD EXTEND INTO, UM, HER LIFE IN OTHER AREAS WHEN I'M NOT HERE.
SO WE STARTED COMPOSING SOME SONGS TOGETHER, AND THIS THEME STARTED EMERGING OF SPIRITUALITY AND STRENGTH OF WOMEN AND LOVE OF NATURE, RIGHT?
SO I STARTED SEEING THESE THEMES COMING TOGETHER IN OUR WORK.
MICHELLE AND PAMELA: ♪ I AM SURROUNDED BY LOVE ♪ YOU ALWAYS SMILE WHEN YOU SING THAT.
BECAUSE I AM REMEMBERING THAT I AM SURROUNDED BY LOVE.
LIKE, MOST PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME, REALLY LOVE ME.
FOR MICHELLE, I BELIEVE HER GRATITUDE IS TIED INTO HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, INTO HER SPIRITUAL LIFE, THAT IT'S A HUGE PART OF LIVING A RELIGIOUS LIFE.
THINK GRATITUDE IS IMPORTANT?
'CAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT IT A LOT.
HUH?
YEAH.
I BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS ME IN HIS VISION AND THAT HE IS THINKING OF MAKING MICHELLE THE BEST LIFE POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK WHEN SHE SINGS WITH ME, SHE FEELS WHOLE IN A WAY.
WHEN SHE IS INVOLVED IN MUSIC, THERE'S, UM, AN INNER KNOWING THAT THE MUSIC IS HELPING TO COMPLETE HER IN SOME WAY.
RIGHT ABOUT THERE.
YEAH.
THERAPIST, VOICE-OVER: AS AN ART THERAPIST WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH MICHELLE, WHICH IS NOW ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON VERY SIMPLE, ABSTRACT THINGS.
AND, UH, AS SHE'S PROGRESSED AND WE--OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS GROWN TOGETHER, UH, THE ART THERAPY HAS COME INTO MORE OF A WAY OF EXCHANGING IDEAS, UM, USE--UTILIZING DIFFERENT ART FORMS, UH, BEING OPEN TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, AND HAVE HER EXPRESS HER OPINIONS ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
OK, MICHELLE, NOW THAT WE'RE FINISHED WITH PAINTING THE LIGHTHOUSE, DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING SPECIAL TO YOU?
IT ALL MEANS THAT EVEN IF YOU WERE UNCONSCIOUS FOR EIGHT MONTHS, THERE IS STILL LIGHT INSIDE OF YOU THAT CAN SHINE AND BRIGHTEN EVERYONE ELSE'S WORLD.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY COULD SAY IT BETTER THAN THAT, MICHELLE!
THIS HAS BEEN FUN DOING THIS PAINTING WITH YOU.
MICHELLE: THANK YOU.
MARILYN: MICHELLE WENT FROM BEING A PHI BETA KAPPA, HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, VERY COMPETENT, INDEPENDENT INDIVIDUAL TO BEING SOMEBODY NOW WHO COULD NOT SURVIVE IF NO ONE ELSE TOOK CARE OF HER.
MARILYN: YOU'VE ASKED ME A COUPLE TIMES TO GO BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.
MAYBE WE'LL HAVE TIME TO DO THAT WHILE WE'RE HERE.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE... YOU'D LOVE TO SEE IT?
TODAY.
TODAY?
YEAH.
OK, WELL, WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIT IT IN, OK... MARILYN, VOICE-OVER: I THINK SHE WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE SHE'S TRYING TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER.
SHE KNEW SHE LIVED IN THAT DORM.
SHE WANTED TO SEE WHERE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE MEMORIES OF THE ACCIDENT HAPPENING.
IN A WAY WITH A BRAIN INJURY, I THINK WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO DO IS REESTABLISH HER AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SELF.
AND YOU WERE STANDING RIGHT ABOUT HERE WHEN... MARILYN, VOICE-OVER: I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO LOST CONTROL OF HER CAR.
SHE ACTUALLY HIT FIVE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO STUDENTS.
UH, SHE HAD SIDESWIPED THREE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY AND THEN THOUGHT SHE WAS STEPPING ON THE BRAKE BUT WAS ACTUALLY STEPPING ON THE GAS AND ZOOMED UP THE HILL AND CAUGHT MY DAUGHTER'S LEG UNDER HER FRONT TIRE, DRAGGED HER ABOUT 40 FEET, AND SMASHED MICHELLE'S HEAD INTO A WALL.
YOU'VE BEEN ASKING MOMMY TO COME BACK AND SEE THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT.
WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE.
I'M VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AND DAD FOR PARENTS.
WELL, THIS IS A SPECIAL TRIP, GETTING TO SEE ALL OF THIS.
DOESN'T BRING BACK ANY MEMORIES FOR YOU, THOUGH, DOES IT?
IT BRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES FOR ME.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
OH... MARILYN, VOICE-OVER: I THINK PROBABLY THE THING THAT HAS DRIVEN ME THE MOST IN THIS JOURNEY WITH MY DAUGHTER IS FAITHFULNESS, NOT WALKING AWAY.
HOW DO WE REMAIN FAITHFUL TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING EVEN WHEN THAT HUMAN BEING MIGHT BE REFERRED TO BY THE REST OF SOCIETY AS DAMAGED GOODS?
THERE'S NOTHING DAMAGED ABOUT HER.
SHE'S DIFFERENT, SHE'S UNIQUE, SHE'S SPECIAL, AND I AM CONVINCED... THAT MICHELLE IS MY ROAD TO SALVATION.
MICHELLE AND PAMELA: ♪ WHEN WE WALK DOWN THE STREET ♪ ♪ AND YOU PASS ME BY ♪ ♪ I SIT HERE IN MY WHEELCHAIR ♪ ♪ AND I WOULD LOVE IT ♪ ♪ IF YOU JUST SAID HI ♪ ♪ YOU MAY THINK I'M LESS OF A PERSON ♪ ♪ ONLY BECAUSE YOU SEE I CAN'T WALK ♪ ♪ BUT IF YOU TOOK THE TIME ♪ ♪ YOU WOULD KNOW I COULD TALK ♪ ♪ SO JUST STOP A MOMENT AND SAY HI ♪ ♪ COULD YOU STOP A MOMENT AND SAY HI?
♪ ♪ COULD YOU STOP A MOMENT AND SAY HI?
♪ THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL FOR YOU, TOO.
GOOD SINGING.
[BAGPIPES AND DRUMS PLAYING] [MAN YELLS INDISTINCTLY] PRESENTER: DR. JUSTIN MARTIN... CURLIN, VOICE-OVER: I WANT PHYSICIANS TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO THEIR WORK WITH JOY, WITH A SPIRIT OF DELIGHT, WITH A SENSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT THIS WORK, NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT, NO MATTER HOW MANY PROBLEMS I HAD TO OVERCOME, THIS WAS VERY GOOD.
WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] AKMAN: AND SO THE TRADITION ENDURES, THE INSPIRING TRADITION, THAT NEW PHYSICIANS RECITE THE OATH OF HIPPOCRATES.
JOIN ME IN AFFIRMING OR REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO THE BEST IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE.
I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR...
GRADUATES: I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR... BY THAT WHICH I HOLD MOST SACRED... BY THAT WHICH I HOLD MOST SACRED... THAT I WILL BE LOYAL TO THE PROFESSION OF MEDICINE... THAT I WILL BE LOYAL TO THE PROFESSION OF MEDICINE-- PUCHALSKI: SPIRITUALITY IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF HEALTHCARE.
THE BASIS OF ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH PATIENTS IS HONORING THAT PERSON'S DIGNITY, THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SHOVING PEOPLE THROUGH AND GIVING THEM A PRESCRIPTION AND MOVING THEM OUT, BUT THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO BE THERE.
AND IF--IF THEIR 15-MINUTE VISIT IS UP AND THAT PERSON IS CRYING OR SUFFERING, THEY DON'T JUST SAY, "I'M SORRY.
TIME IS UP.
I'VE GOT TO GO," BUT THAT THEY'RE REALLY PRESENT AND THAT THEY CONTIN--THAT THEIR OBLIGATION IS TO THE PATIENT, THAT THAT IS THEIR PRIMARY OBLIGATION.
GRADUATES: THAT INTO WHATSOEVER HOUSE I SHALL ENTER... AKMAN: IT SHALL BE FOR THE GOOD OF THE SICK.
IT SHALL BE FOR THE GOOD OF THE SICK.
THESE THINGS I DO PROMISE...
GRADUATES: THESE THINGS I DO PROMISE... AND IN PROPORTION AS I AM FAITHFUL TO THIS, MY OATH... AND IN PROPORTION AS I AM FAITHFUL TO THIS, MY OATH... MAY HAPPINESS AND GOOD REPUTE BE EVER MINE.
MAY HAPPINESS AND GOOD REPUTE BE EVER MINE.
CONGRATULATIONS, DOCTORS AND COLLEAGUES.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] REMEN: YOU KNOW, MEDICINE'S A FRONT-ROW SEAT ON LIFE.
WE WILL SEE EVERYTHING AS DOCTORS.
YOU WILL SEE ACTS OF COURAGE ON THE PARTS OF GRANNIES AND GRANDPAS THAT ARE BREATHTAKING, ACTS OF COURAGE ON THE PART OF FOUR YEAR OLDS THAT ARE BREATHTAKING, ACTS OF LOVE, LOYALTY, TRUST, FAITH.
YOU WILL SEE EVERYTHING THAT THE HUMAN BEING IS CAPABLE OF.
AT THIS JUNCTURE IN TIME, UM, IN UNITED STATES, UM, A REAL GROWING MOVEMENT, A GROUNDSWELL, UM, OF SUPPORT FOR THE SORT OF REINTRODUCTION OF SPIRITUALITY, UM, INTO HEALTHCARE.
I THINK PATIENTS, THEY'RE CALLING FOR PHYSICIANS TO ATTEND, UM, TO THEIR SPIRITUAL NEEDS AND I THINK PHYSICIANS ARE CATCHING ON, UM, AS WELL.
AND THERE'S A REAL MOVEMENT...AFOOT, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
IT MAKES THIS A VERY EXCITING TIME TO BE IN MEDICINE.
PUCHALSKI: THIS MOVEMENT IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD.
WE ARE ALL CALLED TO CREATE SPIRITUALLY-CENTERED HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, WHERE PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS CAN FIND MEANING, HOPE, AND HEALING.
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