Trusting God Through Cancer Treatment: Matt’s Story
How do you respond when you find out you have cancer?
I was born and raised in Calgary and my family and I were deeply involved at FAC. I grew up in DiscoveryLand and attended Glenmore Christian Academy (GCA). I then spent a couple of years living in Australia—which was a transformative experience for my faith. I learned to understand trusting God and saw Him work in so many lives in addition to my own. When I returned home, I worked as a carpenter.
One day, I discovered a lump in my armpit. I had no other symptoms and was completely healthy. Initially, I thought the lump was just a swollen lymph node. But then I found a lipoma on my shoulder, and my girlfriend urged me to get it checked out. At first, I wasn’t overly concerned, but the lipoma was quite large, and I had never noticed it before, so I visited my family doctor and got an ultrasound.
A few weeks later, I got the call: I had cancer. My cancer was stage two Burkitt lymphoma, a type known for its aggressive growth: tumours can double in size in days or hours, but mine ended up being slow-growing. None of my doctors had ever seen this type of lymphoma be slow-growing (my oncologist, who’d been practicing as a specialist in lymphoma for 15+ years, had never seen it before!).
The most difficult part of all of this was telling people who care about me. But shortly after telling my parents, they said they just had this peace that God was going to take care of it. Their calm and faith that God would take care of everything brought me peace.
Treatment was gruelling. Entering the hospital feeling healthy, knowing chemo would make me sick, was mentally taxing. I experienced nausea, exhaustion, and painful side effects. Some of the hardest moments were undergoing the spinal taps. The pain and resulting headaches were unbearable. The nausea, exhaustion, mouth sores, and general weakness were overwhelming. At one point, I didn’t eat for a day and a half because I was so nauseous, curled up in a ball on my hospital bed. It was scary, but what carried me through was being able to remind myself that God is faithful and He has something to teach me in this!
This experience also positively impacted a lot of relationships but also negatively affected others. I didn’t hear from people I thought would reach out: but my relationships with my parents and my girlfriend were strengthened because we got through this hard thing, together. It brought us closer together. Despite the hardships, I had visitors all the time in the hospital, which was great for me because I’m super extroverted. Having people around, being able to talk to them, or even just having the option to talk was really helpful for me. However, I understand that everyone’s needs are different. I would say the best way to support someone going through a similar experience is to ask what they need and respect their wishes.
The best advice I received was from someone who had gone through a similar experience: to take it one day at a time. Each day presented a different challenge and a different way to trust God. Even when I didn’t know what the next day would look like, I had to make a conscious decision to trust in God’s plan.
Now, I am waiting for the results to confirm if the cancer is gone. I’ve prepared myself for both outcomes. I’m now more mindful of my health and the importance of spending time with loved ones. Cancer has taught me to prioritize what truly matters. While the future remains uncertain, I know that with Jesus, I can face whatever comes next. As hard as it was, I wouldn’t change my experience. The perspective changes, how I’ve had to trust God, and seeing Him work in my life have been incredibly positive. This journey will have a lasting impact on how I live my life.
Matt was told he is now in remission on May 7 (this was recorded May 1), and got engaged to Pastor Morgan Clark on May 24! We celebrate God’s goodness! This article was adapted from Episode 17 of the Can We Ask You This? Podcast. Do you have a story to share? Email us!
