Can faith help patients heal? Veteran doctor reveals what he's witnessed firsthand

Originally published on Fox News Health

Dr. Marc Siegel, physician and Fox News senior medical analyst, explores the intersection of spirituality, clinical treatment and unexplained medical recoveries in his new book, "The Angels Among Us." Examining how faith, human empathy and modern medicine converge during health crises, the book draws on medical research , historical cases and firsthand clinical experience. "You don't draw the line between an explanation that's medical or spiritual. They're combined," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "And the more doctors that remember that, the better." DR. MARC SIEGEL: 'THE ANGELS AMONG US' — A DYING WOMAN, THE SHOFAR AND THE MIRACLE THAT FOLLOWED Siegel cites survey data indicating that 70% of physicians believe in God, and 55% report witnessing medical miracles in practice. In the book, out in November, he expands the definition of "angels" beyond ethereal beings to include doctors, nurses and ordinary people whose timely interventions have led to unexplained recoveries or vital support. "The messengers are either actual angels from God that come down, that can take human form, that are voices where you don't have a visualization, or they can be humans that God appoints to do angel-like work," Siegel said. "I started to identify humans who play the role of angels in our lives." RUDY GIULIANI REVEALS HE HAD 'SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE' WHILE IN PNEUMONIA-RELATED COMA Among the cases featured in the book are U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Spencer Milo, who received a terminal brain tumor diagnosis after suffering severe trauma in Iraq. While seeking a second opinion at the University of California, San Francisco, Milo met a Benedictine monk. Subsequent imaging revealed that the tumor was benign. Milo also credits former President George W. Bush with providing pivotal emotional support during a later personal crisis, identifying both as instrumental to his recovery. Siegel references his residency training in intensive care units, sharing the story of an ICU patient who remained in a coma for three months following severe brain trauma. Despite receiving a negative prognosis, the patient unexpectedly regained consciousness and eventually returned to work. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER "That embroidered on me the need to not give up, the need to look for explanations beyond just the purely physical," Siegel said. "My role is not to decide who lives and who dies. My role is to relieve suffering and prolong life." CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES The book also includes personal accounts drawn from Siegel's own family, including his father’s four-year survival on dialysis