Lui Santi - Stage 4 Stomach Cancer Survivor Shares His Story

 Here is a summary of Father Lui Santi's powerful and deeply moving journey, as shared in his presentation:

Background and Diagnosis

  • A Life of Service: Father Lui Santi is an ordained Catholic priest and a member of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Throughout his life, he has served in parish ministry, was appointed to the seminary, and worked as a hospital chaplain at Sunnybrook and Humber River hospitals in Toronto [00:21].

  • The Diagnosis: While in active ministry at the age of 60, he was suddenly diagnosed with stage four gastric (stomach) cancer [00:36]. His doctor frankly told him, "Mr. Santi, you have a growth in your stomach... it is clearly cancer" [20:10]. He is currently undergoing immunotherapy [00:46].

The Four Steps to Finding Hope When asked to speak at the conference, he chose to focus on the question: "What gives you hope?" [02:56]. He detailed a four-step physical, emotional, and spiritual process he had to go through to live with his cancer:

  • 1. Acceptance: Father Lui emphasizes that acceptance takes time and requires a "listening heart" [04:42]. Embracing the unexpected and harsh realities of cancer treatments—which include endless appointments, fatigue, nausea, fear, and anxiety—makes the disbelief more manageable [05:01].

  • 2. Letting Go: To make acceptance real, he had to let go of what was familiar and secure [06:36]. This step requires immense patience and trust—trust in himself, in the medical world, and in God—allowing him to say "yes" to this new, unforeseen road [07:00].

  • 3. Surrendering: He describes surrendering as a dance between his faith and human spirit [08:06]. By putting aside his ego and surrendering to the illness and to God, he gave himself permission to lean on someone else, embarking on a genuine road to healing [08:20].

  • 4. Adapting: The final step involves being flexible to new situations [10:43]. He notes that resisting change only causes inner turmoil that hurts the body and soul. Learning to adapt balances the physical and spiritual tension, eventually leading to peace [10:51].

Healing vs. Curing

  • A Profound Realization: While sitting alone during his chemo treatments, Father Lui had a profound thought: "Perhaps the body does not need a cure" [13:46]. He realized that while a physical cure might not always be deemed attainable, healing is [14:15].

  • Healing the Emotions: He explains that true healing isn't always about fixing the body, but rather healing from fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and worry [14:41]. Throughout his illness, he never specifically prayed for a cure, but always sought healing and peace [15:40].

A Message of Hope and Apple Pie Father Lui chooses not to fight his reality or see his physical limitations as failures, but instead lets nature take its course while maintaining a deep sense of peace [17:40]. He concludes his inspiring reflection by reminding the audience to remain hopeful, shed tears, laugh, and "indulge in a weekly piece of apple pie to sweeten the difficult days" [21:46].