Brain Cancer Awareness Workshop
By Dr. Louise Ragin, 1stEpiscopal District
At St. Luke AME Church in Newark, our senior citizen program held a workshop on Brain Cancer Awareness on December 4, 2018, presented by Sister Bettye J. Hooks, a member of Union Chapel AME Church in Newark. New Jersey. We were blessed to have attended the workshop with us our invited guests, the Rev. Winton M. Hill, III, the Newark District Presiding Elder and Sister Janis B. Hill, his wife.
Sister Hooks is a brain cancer survivor for 14 years. She was very passionate about getting the message out to others to understand what it’s like to have brain cancer and the lessons learned on her journey of healing. Her first signs were headaches which were something she nor her siblings had never experienced. No one in her family reported experiencing headaches. She also shared how important it is for all of us to know our bodies and recognize any significant changes.
When she started having headaches, she contributed them to stress related to working with children in the school system. The headaches continued when at home with no stress. She went to see her doctor after she realized something must be wrong. Through Magnetic Radiation Image (MRI), a small mass was found which her doctor indicated would be easy to remove. Her doctor praised Sister Hooks for coming early to get help.
Trying to process all the information, schedule a date for the surgery, tell other family members of the brain tumor, and dealing with other personal matters was overwhelming. Friends and family members were shocked, surprised, and had questions and fear about the surgery. She turned it over to God to make the decision for her. She told us that God spoke to her and said, “Have the surgery, everything will be alright.” She was then at peace even though she was made aware by her doctor that she could be paralyzed on her left side, have speech problems, and must go to rehabilitation to learn to walk and talk.
She called family members and her pastor at that time, the Rev. Marlowe V. N. Washington at Union Chapel AME Church. He prayed for her and the church members prayed at Sunday service. He called her to the altar and read James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
On the day of the surgery, Pastor Washington drove Sister Hooks to the hospital and stayed with her until she was checked in. The surgery went well. The surgeon was able to remove the entire tumor. She had chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She was blessed not to need rehabilitation. Fourteen years post-brain cancer surgery, Sister Hooks is still here praising the Lord for his grace and mercy to tell her story. She is still an active member of Union Chapel AME Church.
The seniors at the workshop were actively engaged in the discussion and asked many questions. Cancer survivors who were present reflected on their cancer-related experiences. Sister Hooks conveyed the need to comfort the caregiver as well as those receiving care. She expressed her concern that caregivers are often overlooked. She advised us to pray for them, comfort them and acknowledge them for the dedicated work they are doing.
Her message is also to remind everyone to treat people with cancer and other debilitating diseases with patience, kindness, comfort, and compassion. She provides encouraging words of having faith in the Lord, trust and belief in God, who took her through this healing journey. She stressed why it is important for family members to know what illness you are experiencing as part of your family medical history. This would serve family members to be mindful of preventative health measures to detect or manage the occurrence of possible future illnesses such as cancer.
She is an advocate trying to bring Brain Cancer Awareness to others. She is the author of the book, What It’s Like to Have Brain Cancer, which can be purchased on Amazon. She wrote the book because her brother had lung cancer and was the first person with lung cancer that was so close to her. She didn’t understand what his needs were and how to care for them.
Through her book, she hopes readers will have a better understanding. The book is about lessons learned from the experience from her brother’s suffering from lung cancer, which took his life and her lack of understanding.
She encourages everyone to listen to your body. It may save your life! At the conclusion of her presentation, she thanked St. Luke AME Church for the opportunity to share her healing journey and bring a message of hope.
Dr. Louise Ragin is the director of the St. Luke AME Church Senior Citizen Program in Newark, New Jersey. The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Hooper is the pastor.
The photo is by Osayewere Uyinmwen and is used with permission
