In May 2023, a hale and hearty William Toh went for his annual health check as he had always done.

To his surprise, this time his blood test showed an elevated level of a protein that suggested that he had liver cancer.

“The range for a normal AFP (Alpha Feto-Protein) tumour marker test is less than 10 micrograms per litre. My score for it is 1,479!” he told Salt&Light.

“I told myself that there must be a typo, and they’ve left out the decimal point. I started to pray that the scans would show that there are no tumours, and it’s just due to some infection,” said William, who had no family history of liver or kidney cancer.

Results of AFP tumour marker levels from William’s blood test.

To investigate and confirm the diagnosis, he underwent an MRI scan of his abdomen. That was when the doctor discovered William had another tumour in his kidney, in addition to the one found in his liver.

“I was in a state of shock, denial and anxiety when I discovered I had not just one, but two cancers,” said William, now 65.

He could not think of anything but worst-case scenarios – what would chemotherapy do to him? Would he suffer pain?

Uncertainties that unsettled the planner 

“As an engineer by training, I am very left-brain in the sense that I like to plan things and I like certainty,” he admitted.

Faced with much uncertainty, William lost his appetite and was unable to focus at work. A trainer at a consultancy firm, he cancelled all his classes.

“My immediate thoughts were ‘Why me?’ and “Why this (cancer)?’ But I didn’t question or blame God. I just surrendered the situation to God and told Him that no one else can help me except Him,” said William, who is married and has a son.

Having served in the music ministry of Paya Lebar Methodist Church since 1994, it was perhaps not surprising that a song came to William’s mind when he prayed and pondered about what was to come.

William serves as a worship singer at Paya Lebar Methodist Church.

“The song ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus’ immediately came to mind. When I turned my eyes towards Jesus, a sense of peace just swept over me. I was no longer afraid. I could not explain this shalom (peace) that came over me but I knew then that I was in good hands,” William told Salt&Light.

“I am usually the kind of person that is cautious and uncomfortable when things are uncertain. So I knew that the peace and assurance I felt despite being faced with the uncertainties of the future must be from God,” he added.

Another song that ministered to him during that time was a song by Elevation Worship titled “Trust in God”, which a friend had sent to him.

“Two lines from the song spoke to me: ‘He’s been my fourth man in the fire time after time’ and ‘I trust in God, my Saviour, the One who will never fail’.

“I was reminded of a faithful God who will never leave us nor forsake us. He will make a way for us, if we seek Him and trust in Him,” said William.

William serving with the worship and music ministry at PLMC’s 80th anniversary in 2012.

Fortunately, William did not need to go for chemotherapy. His liver and kidney specialists were confident of his full recovery as both tumours were isolated and had not spread. A major surgery was scheduled a month later for both tumours to be taken out.

Around that time, in early June, a friend invited him to her home for prayer from a healing minister Rev Rusty Russell, an international healing minister.

William with Rev Rusty Russell at the home of his friend Lynn.

“He asked me to put my hands in between his as he prayed for me. Then, he asked me if I felt heat on my hands. I said no as I did not feel any warmth,” said William.

“When I turned my hands over to see if I felt any heat, I saw some white and soft particles appearing on my hands instead. I thought maybe his wooden table was dirty or dusty, so I checked it but it was clean! I still didn’t know what was on my hands, so I thought of rubbing them off,” he added.

Yet as he tried to rub the particles off his hands, he said he saw more and more of it appearing on his palms.

Perplexed yet curious, William showed Rev Russell the particles on his hands. 

A divine encounter 

Rev Russell told him that it was a manifestation of God – that while some feel heat on their hands, God can manifest Himself in different ways.

“I have heard of people seeing gold dust but not particles. It was a divine phenomenon as I cannot logically explain how it came about,” said William.

While the particles disappeared barely a minute later, William was convinced that God had showed up.

“I knew then that God is real, He hears our prayers and He is in control. I have been a Christian for decades so of course I knew God is real, but seeing God showing Himself in a way that I can’t doubt takes me to a different level of assurance,” William told Salt&Light.

He felt that the supernatural encounter was God’s way of telling him to have faith by praying and seeking Him for healing.

During that time, his family and friends rallied around him. His wife and son prayed for him every day. His church friends checked in on him regularly and visited him at home to pray for him. His colleagues at work also prayed for him during their company’s daily morning devotions.

“I believe Jesus saw their faith, like the story in Mark 2:1-12 where Jesus healed the paralytic because He saw the faith of his friends,” said William.

William and his cell group serving breakfast at Paya Lebar Methodist Church.

In the lead up to the surgery, he did not feel anxious or fearful at all.

“I know that God is in control and He would guide the medical professionals during the procedure,” he said.

In June 2023, William was wheeled into surgery for two keyhole operations that lasted 12 hours in total. First, the liver surgeon came in to remove the malignant liver cancer tumour. It was followed by the kidney surgeon coming in to remove the kidney cancer tumour. Both tumours measured about 3.5cm.    

His surgical wounds from the two keyhole surgeries.

For every hour that William was in the operating theatre, a cell group member was rostered to pray for him. His cell group members took turns to lift him up in intercession.

His boss also volunteered to drive William home after he was discharged from the hospital.

William in hospital on the day of discharge, four days after surgery.

“By God’s grace, the operation was a success,” said William.

What the doctor found was astonishing: “When he took out the tumour, he realised that the liver cancer tumour had completely died on its own.”

A rare case of “spontaneous necrosis” 

The histopathology report said: “This may represent a rare case of complete spontaneous necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma”.

This is an unusual medical phenomenon where a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) — a primary liver cancer — undergoes complete necrosis (death of tumour cells) without any medical intervention or treatment.

This is considered extremely rare.

The histopathology report indicating a rare case of spontaneous necrosis of the liver tumour.

The doctor was so puzzled by this that he asked William if he had sought the help of any other doctors or gone for treatment outside the hospital.

“No, I only saw you. And I prayed very hard. God must have healed me,” William answered his doctor.

William going for a morning walk with his cell group mate three weeks after surgery.

The liver cancer tumour died on its own, but the tumour in his kidney did not.

“I don’t need to understand why this happened and why it did not happen to the other tumour,” William said to Salt&Light.

“He has done the impossible beyond what I could ask for or imagine.

“In church, we often pray that cancer cells will shrivel and die. But I thought such a miracle would only happen to other holy or pious believers, and not to me.”

“Experiencing the love of God first hand has showed me that His love has no boundaries,” he added.

Since then, his scans have shown that William is cancer-free.

William celebrating Christmas with my family in December 2023, six months after his surgery.

William acknowledged that there are others out there who are still waiting for their healing.

“We don’t know why healing doesn’t take place sometimes. But God is sovereign. Instead of dwelling on the affliction, perhaps it is better to focus on the many blessings that God has poured out on us.

“We have a living hope in Christ Jesus, so we surrender to Him and trust in His unfailing love,” said William.

William recently returned from his first mission trip with the church to a country in South Asia. Besides helping to conduct children’s and youth programmes there, he also took the opportunity to share his testimony of God’s healing power.

William presenting a song and sharing his testimony during a mission trip with his cell group in March 2025.

“We sometimes wonder why we must go through trials and difficulties. But when God delivers us from these situations, His power and glory will be revealed through us,” said William.

“He will not let us go through what we cannot bear, and He will give us the strength to overcome, so that the works of God will be displayed in us.” (John 9:3)

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