Can we really call what we’re witnessing a medical miracle, or is it just a matter of technology making advancements at the right time? Does it even matter? Personally, I believe that medical care and tech advancements are like, well, the “hands of God” at work. It’s fascinating how significant recoveries often coincide with technological progress; to me, that feels like a sign of divine presence.
I recall back in 2002 when my cousin Howard, a retired internist, faced a serious battle with lymphoma. He responded positively to a classic chemotherapy regimen known as CHOP, which has been around since the 1960s and has proven effective for many lymphoma cases.
His hematologist later told us, unfortunately, that while Howard was in remission, there was almost a sure chance that the cancer would return in the next 15 years. But then he mentioned a new treatment—a targeted monoclonal antibody that seemed promising for lymphoma. Howard tried it, and remarkably, he never relapsed. Today, a combination therapy called RCHOP has become standard practice.
In 1995, a 37-year-old Army major named Melvin Mann was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a tough blood cancer to deal with. He lost weight and felt drained, stuck in a downward spiral. Then, about three years later, he became one of the first patients in a clinical trial for a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor. This drug targets an enzyme that causes an overproduction of white blood cells. Miraculously, his energy surged back, he gained weight, and within a year, he was even running marathons.
This doesn’t imply that every new treatment is a miracle fix. We have to be really careful about scammers in the medical field. Dr. Scott Rodeo, a physician for the New York Giants, recently highlighted that while regenerative medicine shows promise, the hype often overshadows the science. He pointed out that some stem cell treatments being marketed in clinics abroad are not validated, making it hard for any doctor to provide solid medical advice about them.
Rodeo also mentioned the serious complications that could arise from these treatments, including risk of blindness, tumors, and severe infections. The effectiveness, he said, is at best just symptom relief.
And let’s not overlook the snake oil salesmen out there, those who exploit people’s hopes for medical miracles. In Kenya, for instance, there are individuals claiming to heal serious ailments through magic. Some even argue that these spells can work, which raises a lot of ethical concerns for the Kenya Medical and Dental Association about public health safety.
In my book, *Miracles Among Us*, I discuss how medical miracles do occur, frequently, and often go unnoticed. They can uplift our spirits and instill hope, especially as we approach the new year. Nonetheless, we must remain cautious of those peddling “free miracles” to make a profit or gain control over us.
