God, I Need a Hug Today

— A Story of Faith  and Unshakable Strength

by MariAnn Bell

MariAnn is a retired school Principal from Couva who shares a series of faith and strength by Catholic Women throughout Trindad and Tobago.

Angie had been diagnosed with cancer in her right lung.

What followed was a brutal fight: rounds of chemotherapy and radiation that ravaged her body, leaving half her esophagus damaged. But by the grace of God, Angie recovered and went into remission.

That could have been the end of her story—but it wasn’t.

Nine years later, cancer returned, this time attacking her left lung. Surgeons had to remove the middle lobe. More surgery, followed by  six long months of pain, isolation, and struggle.

Then came another blow—lumps were found in her right breast. In June 2025, Angie was once again in the operating room for yet another major surgery.

But her trials didn’t begin or end with cancer. Years ago, she underwent spinal surgery for arthritis in her neck—a procedure called Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), using cadaver bone grafts. She wore a neck brace for six weeks and still endures daily pain from that experience. She has battled glaucoma, undergone eye surgeries and laser treatments, and in 2019, faced decompression surgery for arthritis in her back, which kept her confined to bed for another six months.

Through it all, Angie kept pressing on.

A former United States Air Force servicewoman, she served 15 years in uniform. After retiring, she poured her heart into building her dream home on Mexico Beach. But in 2018, Hurricane Michael swept it all away. She lost everything—but not her faith. By the will of God, she started over, rebuilt, and continued to provide for her family.

When we spoke recently, Angie cried as she reflected on her life—the relentless trials, the moments of brokenness, and the strength she continues to find in God. She said something that stayed with me:
“Sometimes, when I’m overwhelmed, I just say, ‘God, I need a hug today’.”

Her words weren’t just a whisper of pain—they were a prayer. A cry from someone who has walked through fire and come out, not untouched, but upheld.

Angie’s story is not about suffering—it’s about survival. About a woman of faith who has stood in the storm and said, “Still, I will trust Him”.

To every woman reading this:
When life hits hard and you feel alone in the fight, may you remember Angie. May her story remind you that you are never forsaken. That even in the deepest valleys, God still hears the whispered prayer: “I need a hug today.”

And He answers.

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash