The Power of Faith Amid Cancer Journey
- Terry Crews’ wife Rebecca Crews skipped her most recent prayer session on social media after having some medical procedures done and needing to rest.
- Crews was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis in 2020 following a mammogram and ultrasound, and she is cancer-free after a double mastectomy.
- Stage 1 breast cancers are relatively small; they either have not spread to the lymph nodes or only a small area of cancer has spread to the sentinel lymph node.
- Rebecca Crews says she leaned on her faith to help her through her cancer journey. She regularly hosts prayer sessions on social media.
- Researchers who studied the relationship between praying and life expectancy in cancer patients found the power of prayer helps withstand pain and suffering.
- In a study published in Cancer, 69% of cancer patients say that they rely on faith throughout cancer treatment, and use prayer as a way to call for good health.
Actor Terry Crews’ wife, 57-year-old Rebecca Crews, whose faith has gotten her through big challenges like her breast cancer battle, skipped her most recent prayer session on social media after having some medical procedures done and needing some time to rest.
"What you do for God is important, but you are more important," Rebecca Crews said on her Instagram page on Monday.
Read MoreView this post on Instagram
"I'm just tuckered, but it's probably from the sedation that stays in your blood for a little bit," Crews said, appearing a bit tired.
We don't know the exact procedure Crews had done prior to canceling her regular prayer session. She talked in a post the next day that “life is full of ups and downs.”
“Sometimes we may stumble and fall. However, it’s important to remember that these setbacks don’t define us. It’s how we react to adversity that truly matters,” Crews wrote.
“So the next time you face a setback, remember that it’s not about whether or not you fall – it’s about how you rise from it. Embrace the challenges that come your way, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving forward.”
Earlier this month, Crews revealed she had a CT scan on her heart, which prompted her to cancel a prayer session to focus on her health at that time too.
View this post on Instagram
"When I did my physical…my doctor thought he saw something looked a little funny on my stress test," she said in an Instagram post at the time.
Hosting the prayer sessions is very important to her. She shared in her most recent post how skipping another session made her feel bad.
"I know we're supposed to press through in ministry. Lord the ministry is first, but he said, no Rebecca, you're first, isn't that something," she said.
She ended her Instagram video by reminding everyone God still loves us all.
"He loves us," she said before ending her post with a warm smile in need of some rest.
Crews later said that “all is good” and she was focusing on “just a little better diet.”
More on breast cancer warriors
- Husband's Special Cannabis Blend Helped Olivia Newton-John Eliminate Opioids After Stage 4 Breast Cancer Caused Bone Fractures
- Shannen Doherty Celebrates 52nd Birthday as She Battles Stage 4 Breast Cancer: Leaning on Loved Ones and Finding Fulfillment in Work
- ‘GMA’ Anchor Robin Roberts Leads Morning Prayer on Instagram, How Cancer Thrivers and Survivors Use Faith to Cope
- ‘Anne With An E’ Star Miranda McKeon, 19, Fears Losing Her Support System After Beating Breast Cancer
Rebecca Crews’ Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Rebecca Crews was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in 2020 following a mammogram and ultrasound. She underwent a double mastectomy for treatment two weeks after her diagnosis.
Stage 1 breast cancers are relatively small; they either have not spread to the lymph nodes or only a small area of cancer has spread to the sentinel lymph node.
Treatment will likely be surgery and radiation following surgery, along with chemotherapy or some other therapy.
Women who have a family history of breast cancer, or have received a breast cancer diagnosis, they might choose to undergo a mastectomy for treatment. This is a procedure that surgically removes the entire breast, and it may not be the best course of action for all people.
WATCH: Terry Crews on Racial Disparities in Health Care and Watching His Mom Not Get the Care She Needed
"Even for early stage 1 breast cancer, a woman may elect a mastectomy to remove her whole breast," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.
"Sometimes, this is something that's done prophylactically, meaning a woman just has a high risk of breast cancer in their family, and so to prevent breast cancer, they're thinking about removing their breasts."
During Rebecca Crews' cancer journey, she gave large amounts of credit to her faith in God and her loving and supportive husband, Terry, for helping her through her cancer fight. Rebecca Crews remains free of the disease following her cancer treatment.
WATCH: Understanding Stage 1 Breast Cancer.
Power of Faith
Rebecca Crews isn't the only breast cancer survivor to publicly display her faith. “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts also regularly shares Instagram messages about faith and hope.
Both women credit their faith in God and their supportive partners for motivating them.
Many cancer warriors turn to their faith to help them stay motivated through intensive rounds of chemotherapy and surgery.
In a study published in Cancer, 69% of cancer patients say that they rely on faith throughout cancer treatment, and use prayer as a way to call for good health.
Researchers who studied the relationship between praying and life expectancy in cancer patients found the power of prayer helps withstand pain and suffering.
"The patients can overcome their illnesses with the help of praying and of other religious actions, thus helping them gain more power and being able to control their illnesses, as they know a lot about their sickness therefore, they can stand the pain and suffering and become hopeful to future," researchers N. Hekmati Pour and H. Hojjati said in the Journal of Medicine and Life.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.