Abstract
When Michelle Bird, a white woman in her early forties, developed a rare form of cancer several years ago, she sought treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. There she was cared for by Dr. George Demetri, an expert in the field. In addition to standard biomedical treatments, Michelle, a Catholic, received reiki and acupuncture at Dana-Farber and attended services and readings in the small interfaith chapel there. She met monthly with a priest to receive his blessings and carried books like Jerome Groopman’s The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness with her to