“I felt helpless, but I just prayed and prayed and prayed.” Lisa  

Dr. Onik talks to Senior Executive Producer of the Emmy®-winning newsmagazine “Extra,” now in its 28th season, Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey, who experienced an incredible spiritual transformation during her husband’s health crisis. Lisa had a typical Jewish upbringing in New Jersey, but her media career took her all over the country, having spent most of her career in California. One night, taking a call in her office at Extra, dressed in a gown about to attend the Emmys, she abruptly did an about face toward home. Her husband Gary had been told he had cancer on the back of his tongue. 

From Gary’s unexpected heart surgery to radiation to chemo, Lisa began praying in her car, and reading Christian author Max Lucado for the peace it brought her. Then she started reading the New Testament. Gary fully recovered and didn’t seem to mind when Lisa read him passages from the Bible, having grown up Methodist, but converted to Judaism when they married. But it wasn’t until Gary got a call years later learning that the cancer had metastasized to his lung that he also got on the prayer wagon. 

Today, alive and well, the couple remarkably have dedicated their lives to Jesus. They never miss a day of their early morning ritual together, spending time with God. 

Dr. Onik asks Lisa, also known as the Doctor Whisperer, has your Christianity ever made you uncomfortable or affected your career? Lisa is quick to respond, “Not even for one second. I have a big forum to help other people,” and she uses it to spread hope. 

*** 

For over 40 years Dr. Gary Onik has been pioneering advances in cancer treatment that have rocked the field of oncology, inventing an entirely new branch of cancer treatment now known as “Interventional Oncology” based on his innovative minimally invasive techniques. Both doctor and patient, he created a cancer vaccine and successfully treated his own terminal prostate cancer using his invention. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Onik is an Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, working closely with his colleagues to develop the next generation of cancer fighting technologies. His latest work, using immunotherapy to treat metastatic cancer, offers hope to those patients with literally no other options. 

GARY ONIK https://www.garyonik.com/

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