When a child tragically gets cancer, parents and families often find themselves grasping for ways to make sense of their new reality. It is one thing to know abstractly that we live in a world where the innocent suffer, but it is another thing entirely to suffer alongside your own child. Such a life-altering experience can raise heavy questions for parents, at times forcing them to reassess their most closely held narratives and cherished beliefs.
Our guest on this episode is Grant Romoser-Claunch. Grant is a Christian pastor at Newsong Fellowship in Illinois and a husband and a father. When his four-and-half month old son Simon was diagnosed with leukemia, Grant was confronted with the daunting question: Where is God in this? His 2025 book Bone of my Bone chronicles his journey with Simon and captures the spiritual challenges and growth he experienced along the way.
Over the course of our conversation, Grant shares Simon’s cancer story from diagnosis all the way to remission. We explore how Grant’s faith was challenged and re-formed while caring for Simon and reflect on how deeper learning often requires a preceding process of unlearning. Finally, Grant reminds medical professionals of their moral duty to wield the power of their position with love.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
2:30 - Grant’s work as a pastor and the path that led him to his work
9:30 - The heart wrenching story of Grant’s son’s journey with leukemia
33:50 - How Grant’s experience with his son’s cancer challenged his faith and motivated him to write
41:50 - The ways in which Grant’s understanding of God transformed throughout his son’s journey
48:20 - How the concrete details of life can lead us to profound insights
1:00:30 - The impact of doctors who wield their power for their parents instead of over their patients
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.
Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2026
