DR MARC SIEGEL: Why breakthroughs and survival stories make me hopeful for 2026

My new book, Miracles Among Us, reveals multifaceted miracles that lift my spirits during the writing process, and it has also successfully lifted the spirits of many readers who have reached out to share their own miracles since its publication in November. This theme provides hope for 2026; that faith and God’s constant guiding presence can help us overcome our divisions. Here is my list of five miracles of 2025 that make me feel optimistic about the new year ahead.

1. Hostages

Eli Sharabi was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and was released on February 8, 2025 as part of the peace agreement. However, his wife Lianne; daughters Noiya and Yahel; and his brother Yossi, who was also taken hostage, was killed.

Sharabi’s memoir, “Hostage,” is an incredible detail of the horrific suffering, torture, deprivation and dehumanization he endured at the hands of his Hamas captors.

After his release, Sharabi became an advocate for the return of the remaining hostages and the dead still in Hamas’ hands.

DR MARC SIEGEL: TELL ME YOUR MIRACLES AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I PRAY FOR

It is a great miracle that Sharabi and the 168 other hostages who were sent alive to Israel survived. He described how Jewish teaching and the Torah helped him choose life rather than letting pain and loss bury him.

As we enter 2026, we pray for lasting peace in Gaza, Israel and the Middle East.

2. Medical Breakthroughs

In the medical world, advances in cancer immunotherapy have been outstanding and promising for 2026. Cancer vaccines, including mRNA-based therapies, now target proteins on the surface of cancer, opening the door to more advanced targeted therapies such as antibody-drug conjugates. These treatments have been shown to be effective against previously untreatable tumors, including pancreatic cancer.

One key target is the KRAS gene, which is prominent in many cases of pancreatic cancer. KRAS is responsible for regulating cellular growth through a protein that acts as a cellular switch, but a mutation causes the switch to remain “on,” causing cancer to grow out of control.

DR MARC SIEGEL: MAY GOD PROVIDE A MEDICAL MIRACLE TO NATIONAL GUARD ANDREW WOLFE

We are moving into an era of personalized cancer treatments, where a person’s specific genetic makeup helps determine both prevention and treatment treatments.

3. Artificial Intelligence

There has been much discussion and debate about AI, but from where I sit its promise is simply “no thought at all.” From Nvidia-designed robots that understand and perform complex tasks including movement, lifting, sensing, navigation, and even decision-making, Programmed with AI In 2026, it will take on increasingly useful roles, including patient monitoring.

Artificial intelligence continues to gain a stronger foothold in the world of healthcare, from advances in opportunistic imaging where heart disease and cancer can be diagnosed early without direct human intervention, to practice management and accelerated drug development. Artificial intelligence will revolutionize the world of medicine in 2025 and bring many more miracles.

4. NexoBrid

The reason I wrote about Nexobrid in “Miracles Among Us” was because the treatment saved many lives among burn victims following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

One family, the Golans, was literally burned alive in their kibbutz home and survived. They were improved with the help of NexoBrid.

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NexoBrid removes dead tissue from the burn, often eliminating the need for surgical debridement. By 2025, its regular use had spread throughout the world, including widespread use in the United States.

Now a new study from Israel finds that NexoBrid improves cosmetic and healing outcomes for so-called traumatic tattoos, where bullets or skin damage have occurred from blast injuries.

NexoBrid derived from pineapples represents a major medical advance.

5. Baby KJ Muldoon

Baby KJ is a Christmas miracle, having survived a fatal genetic abnormality that causes uremia, which builds up large amounts of toxic ammonia that the kidney must filter from the body. However, with CRISPR genetic editing, KJ’s genetic mutation was corrected.

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He was able to walk and thrive. His experience bodes well for many types of personalized gene therapies involving a variety of diseases. These miracles will become much more common in 2026, providing more hope for the future of personalized medicine.

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