The immense training that physicians and surgeons complete means they are often the most knowledgeable experts on any given medical condition. Consequently, they are not often left without a scientific explanation for their patients’ conditions. On rare occasions, though, the scientific knowledge doctors possess doesn’t provide any answers or explanation for what they see in the emergency room.
One such instance took place recently when 11-year-old Roxli Doss was miraculously healed of her condition, baffling her doctors.
Roxli was diagnosed with a condition called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). It is a devastating diagnosis. In layman’s terms, it is an incurable, inoperable cancerous brain tumor. Many doctors examined Roxli, all coming to the same heartbreaking conclusion. Dr. Virginia Harrod of Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas explained it in detail.
“It is very rare, but when we see it, it is a devastating disease,” she said. “You have decreased ability to swallow, sometimes vision loss, decreased ability to talk, eventually difficulty breathing.”
After receiving the devastating diagnosis, Roxli’s parents Gena and Scott Doss began to pray, imploring God to act on their daughter’s behalf and heal her of this tragic condition that would most certainly take her life. In the meantime, Roxli underwent various treatments including weeks of radiation. The family’s community rallied around them, helping to fund the medical treatments Roxli needed. They also joined in with the family to ask God to heal the young girl.
As part of their treatment plan, doctors conducted an MRI of Roxli’s brain to see how the disease was responding to the radiation and other treatments. They were likely hoping to see some shrinking of the cancerous tumor — perhaps they would have even been pleased with no reduction but no growth. What they actually saw, though, left them baffled.
When doctors looked at Roxli’s MRI scan, they noticed the tumor was nowhere to be found — it was gone. The doctor’s simply had no answer for what they were seeing.
“When I first saw Roxli’s MRI scan, it was actually unbelievable. The tumor is undetectable on the MRI scan, which is really unusual,” Dr. Harrod said.
Although Roxli had received some treatment for her tumor, the complete absence of it within her brain was unexpected and unexplainable. Roxli’s parents are convinced God heard their prayers, and performed a true miracle. Her parents said they prayed for a miracle and “praise God, we got it!”
There are lot of examples of miracles in the Bible. From restoring vision to the blind, to helping the lame walk again, it was all part of Christ’s regular routine. Not to mention bringing the dead back to life or multiplying fish and loaves. However, in today’s skeptical society that insists on proof before belief, miracles can seem like an antiquated concept. Often, science is given the credit for any and all healing. Thankfully, though, even if doubters exist, the event that took place in young Roxli’s life cannot be described any other way but miraculous.
This real-life example of God’s ability to intervene in His followers’ lives should be encouraging for anyone who believes in Christ as their Lord and Savior, for they too can ask for God’s mighty hand to be placed within their lives. As it says in Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
What about people who die of cancer just like Roxli’s who ask for healing? Are they being punished somehow or is God ignoring them? Of course, not. God works in each life according to His will and plan. Therefore, on this side of eternity, believers must trust that God knows best regardless of His willingness to heal on this side of heaven or take a follower home.
~ 1776 Christian
