In the summer of 2012, a lovey young woman arrived at OHI San Diego on a mission. She’d been diagnosed with a grapefruit- sized tumor on her ovary, and the picture the medical establishment was painting wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She did not want to have surgery to remove the tumor and the ovary, and she didn’t want to freeze her eggs.
Jenny Emblom was always interested in holistic healing, and felt if she could bring her physical, mental and spiritual health into balance, she could beat the tumor. She also desired to have a healthy baby at some point in the future without the risks and expense of in vitro fertilization.
Jenny was able to pull together the money for the first week of the program, and by the third day, she was already feeling a transformative shift. She met with Pam Nees, one of the OHI founders and spiritual directors. Pam supported Jenny with prayer, encouragement and frank talk about the very real life-threatening health opportunity the tumor posed. Jenny appreciated Pam’s council, and rededicated herself to following OHI’s healing program to the letter.
Jenny was overwhelmed and grateful when we were able to present her with an OHI scholarship for the other two weeks of the program. When she returned to her oncologist after her stay, Jenny was thrilled to discover the tumor was half its original size. The doctor asked her to return in two months for another assessment.
A few months later Jenny was accepted into OHI’s Missionary program, where she excelled in compassionately helping others with challenging health opportunities. I’ve seen how people who have navigated their own journey through such a situation makes them particularly effective as Missionaries and counselors.
On her next visit to the oncologist, the doctor declared the tumor “resolved and gone.” We were just as happy as Jenny was! She soon married a man she’d met years before, and they welcomed their daughter Gabriella Seren Castro into the world October 5, 2014.
Jenny has adhered to the OHI program ever since. She loves to share her OHI experience, and she continues to support people seeking to reverse disease, or simply live a healthier lifestyle.
It was the combination of Jenny’s passionate commitment to regain her health, and the kindness of donors to the OHI Scholarship Fund, that not only saved a young woman’s life but also made it possible to create a loving family.
There is no limit to the good that can happen when we share compassion and generosity.
Larry Taylor
Executive Director OHI San Diego