For a lot of people dealing with the loss of a loved one from cancer, ritual, ceremony and faith can be an important part of grieving. Duane “Dog The Bounty Hunter” Chapman seems to be leaning on faith as he grieves and plans a funeral ceremony for his wife, the widely celebrated TV bounty hunter Beth, who died at age 51 of Stage 4 lung cancer.
Faith can mean a lot of different things to different people. According to the Pew Research Center, which focuses on the study of religion, 90 percent of Americans believe in some kind of higher power. 56 percent say they have faith in God as described in the Bible. And 33 percent say they believe in another type of higher power or spiritual force.
Read MoreDuane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) July 1, 2019
And people who have been inspired by Beth were eager to respond with words of faith and prayer.
“I pray this Scripture brings you & your family comfort..TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY 2 Corinth 5:6-8. Paul states that we should be confident in our eternal destiny,& longs for the day when he will be absent from the body and be present with the Lord he loves and serves. GBY,” wrote one supporter.
“Beth is in good hands now god will take good care of her and make sure shes ok and duane beth will wait for you on the other side promise you that!! She will always continue to be your beautiful wife in spirit she will never leave your side she will help you through this,” said another.
Another supporter kept it short, “My Prayers Are With You & Your Family. God Bless.”
Indeed, Beth and Dog were very public about the fact that she was relying heavily on her faith for the strength to fight the disease throughout Beth’s battle with cancer. On Wednesday, after she passed away in her home state of Hawaii, her husband Duane (Dog) Chapman revealed that even her final words revolved around her unfaltering faith in God.
Dog was speaking to reporters after Beth's passing and explained that even though her death came as a surprise, Beth devoted some of her last moments to the two things that mattered the most in her life faith and family. "When she had the attack, I didn't know anything to do but to say, 'In Jesus' name,' and to hold her," Dog said. "And when I said, 'In Jesus' name,' she said, 'Say it again, say it more.' And then she … told the girls and everybody … I love you. Are you guys all OK? Don't worry. But she never accepted it."
Beth was put into a medically-induced coma over the weekend after a months-long battle with advanced lung cancer. But Dog explained during his comments that she was a fighter, and even in the end, she would never accept that she was going to die.
"Her way was to live," Dog said. "She wanted to live so bad and she fought so long. And the reasons she fought … she liked life. She wanted to show people how to beat it, and what to do when it got her. … One of the last things she said [was], 'This is a test to my faith.' She had faith, and that was it. There [are] things you go through when you're dying, like steps … the last step when you're dying is to accept it. And she said to me the other day, 'Honey, that last step … I ain't taking."
Dog and some of the Chapman children, who were standing behind their dad as he spoke to reporters, took a moment to laugh at the memories of Beth and just how strong she was.
The Denver ceremony comes after a memorial they held in Hawaii. Dog explained that the couple lived in both Colorado and Hawaii but when Beth's health began to take a turn, she told Dog that she wanted to be at "home" in Hawaii with her family. Some of the Chapman children took to social media to show their "Hawaiian style" send off for Beth. The posts show Beth's car (complete with MRSDOG license plate) covered in leis and beautiful flower arrangements, as well as a petal-lined path that leads to a picture of Beth looking beautiful.
Information about faith and cancer
A lot of people in the SurvivorNet community have talked to us about the role of faith during their cancer journeys. Breast cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent told SurvivorNet that she leaned on faith to help her through. "I knew that if I just put my faith and trust in God, that I would be okay," said Vincent about her cancer journey.
Sharonda discovered a lump in her left breast the day before her thirtieth birthday, with just over a month to go until her wedding. Her doctor initially dismissed her concerns, but follow-up tests confirmed that it was stage 2B breast cancer. "It was hard for me. I felt as if I was being punished," she says.
Breast Cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent on the role of faith in her cancer journey
But after chemotherapy, radiation, and then hormone replacement, Sharonda is doing well. She’s currently a social service advocate at the Public Defender’s Office in Philadelphia.
Sharonda’s message: Don’t give up hope. Educate yourself and live every day to the fullest. "Breast cancer is no longer the end of the world," she says.
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