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God says He is a healing God......

Heal me O Lord

And I will be healed

Save me and I will be save

Heal me O Lord

And I will be healed

For You are the One I praise

You are the One I praise

Reflecting on Public Health Genetics and areas Christians can serve

Having to read the stories of families with genetic disease, their real life battles, I was lost in the waves of painful memories......

Neither me or my family had been diagnosed any genetic disease, yet the similar experiences of having someone dear passed away, either expected or unexpected; experiences of cold shoulder treatment of insensitive healthcare professionals, being ignored and treated as naive child; experience to wait in a hospital for hours after the appointment time; scheduled for appointments several months later while the condition was urgent and worrying; experiences of not having anyone to talk to, being shut off of communications and proper care...... all of these added to remorse feeling and guilt for the bereaved. 

Public Health Genetics had helped me to understand the needs of care to the patients. Reading their stories, positive or negative led me to come to a conclusion, it is about how much do we care, and how we are going to live with it? There is a choice to be made, as the patient survived. Are we going to live with him/her just as any normal person, or are we going to grief and regret all the time for his/her condition?

Prenatal screening is widely available these days, thus give parents a reproductive choice. But having very limited knowledge and prejudice over an issue might lead to a regretful decision. Many people are struggling in searching the meaning of life, many people point towards genetic mutations as a mistake or imperfection. How we Christians respond to these questions? Are we equipped with knowledge in truth and love? Are we able to walk with them through times of difficulties and frustrations? 

In most countries, the states/institutions do not have enough support in terms of care and finance. Churches and non-profit organizations need to take notes on this.

A mother who had a son with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) commented as she learned about someone's decision to terminate her pregnancy as the fetus were diagnosed CMT, " All I kept thinking was, if given the opportunity at the time, I had thought the same and terminated my pregnancy with my son, I would have missed out on a lovely person being part of my life."

A mother who had a mild-Down Syndrome girl said, " We've found out that there is a lot we can do to help our daughter reach her full potential, as you would with any other child, and there is hope for the future...... My daughter has a much more positive future than those neglected and abused."

Having said, there were a lot of things that they had to face as they came to this statement. What do you think, soldier of Christ? There are a lot of things that we can do in this field! Doctors, nurses, mid-wives, physiotherapists, there are ways that you can get to know these people personally, be with them and walk with them.  Make a difference in the medical field! Let us have more Christian workers in Medicine!

Re: www.geneticseducation.nhs.uk/tellingstories/index.asp