A Miracle of Healing
From Death Sentence to Complete Clearance
By Thais Hafer
In March of 2025, I went in for a routine surgery. I didn't expect anything serious; I was told they found some lesions, but no one seemed overly concerned. Just a week later, I received a phone call from another surgeon delivering devastating news: those lesions were mucosal melanoma, an extremely rare and aggressive cancer that grows inside the body. By the time it was caught, I was already at Stage 3, potentially Stage 4. The rarity of its early detection is often why it is so deadly.
March into early April was probably the darkest time of my entire life. After meeting with my oncologist and hearing my outlook, I truly felt like I was being given a death sentence. I was young and healthy, which allowed the doctors to prescribe an aggressive immunotherapy treatment plan, avoiding a "life altering surgery".
Knowing I faced a tough battle, something told me to reach out to a woman I knew through St. John the Baptist, Julie Madearis. I knew Julie was a very prayerful woman. I generally keep things to myself, so telling her was very odd for me, but I felt she "had an in with God". I thought she would just say a few prayers. Instead, she became a prayer champion. She told me about two women, Monica and Julie, who were part of a healing ministry at St. Francis, had decided to start praying for me. It was inspiring to know that two strangers, whom I had never met, were including me in their prayers.
I started treatment, doing very well through the first two immunotherapy sessions. However, the third session made me incredibly sick. I was hospitalized and sick for nearly 21 days. Afterwards, three different doctors told me how truly bad it had been. Throughout this time, Julie Maderas constantly reminded me, "People are praying for you".
Around July, after healing from that setback, I met Monica and Julie. I went to that meeting knowing I needed a "complete miracle," which only God could give. As they prayed over me, the feeling was overwhelming; I could not stop crying. I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of peace and love. I still carry with me things they told me that day in prayer.
In August, I mentioned to Julie Medearis that I had crucial scans coming up. My oncologist was worried, feeling he might have to abandon my treatment plan because of how sick I had become, which would mean considering surgery or a clinical trial. He did note, though, that sometimes the sicker you get, the better the results. Julie simply told me, "We're going to keep praying. We're going to pray for complete healing".
The night before receiving the results, I sat down with my husband and said “we have to decide what we believe now, before getting those results. Otherwise, we will always judge God based on them. Do we really believe God is good?...” The results of my PET scan popped up on my phone as I was driving home. When I finally opened them, I was terrified. The results read: "completely unremarkable," which is good. My oncologist called it "unbelievable". After subsequent incidental findings and biopsies, the surgeon called me, crying, to confirm that everything was completely benign. Specialists confirmed everything is clear.
I was told I had this extremely aggressive cancer and was looking at a two-year treatment plan. Yet, in five months of treatment, it is gone. My doctor asked why I had such a quick response, as this is so rare. I believe the "miracle of science is God's doing," and I had about a thousand people, including Julie and Monica, praying for me. That made the difference. If I hadn't gone through with my original surgery, none of this would have been caught. The timing of every person placed in my life since that diagnosis in March has been part of my healing. I truly don't believe I would be sitting in this position today without the healing ministry of Julie and Monica praying for me.
I am sharing this testimony for a few reasons. First and foremost, I want to give thanks and praise to God, as I truly believe that with God, everything is possible. I also hope to encourage others to pray and to ask for prayers. On my worst days, I found it nearly impossible to pray, and all of those people praying for me helped me make it through. Please never underestimate the power of prayer; despite my own experiences, I still need this reminder every day.