Trouble With Spritual Healer

WCPO.com/November 10, 2002
By Hagit Limor

Anchor on set: Alternative medicine is all the rage these days. People try herbs and special diets, meditation, sometimes even a healer, but one Cincinnati woman says her "healer" did anything but heal her.

The I-Team's Hagit Limor joins us.

Hagit Limor on set: Jenell Olson says her journey into "energy healing" led her to challenge her doctors, put off treatment and cut off family members who disagreed, so we went to find the healer and see for ourselves.

I-Team package begins.

Rahul Patel on tape: (bell rings) "When I come, feel the vibration."

Hagit Limor voice over video: Rahul Patel bills himself a master healer. He travels the country teaching at seminars like this one in Columbus on "energy healing."

Rahul Patel on tape: "We are going to do the reading on you. I don't know this lady and in front of your eyes you will see her energy moving."

Hagit Limor voice over video: His followers sing his praises.

"Patricia" on tape: "I do believe that Rahul helped me from his healing touch."

"Judy" on tape: I could hardly walk. I was holding on to the wall and I did what he suggested that I do, and I was well right away."

Hagit Limor voice over video: Now these ladies testify of their healing to newcomers, the same role this Cincinnati woman played till earlier this year. Jenell Olson's a writer, model and actress whose last role may have cost her her life.

Jenell Olson on tape, crying: "My cancer's incurable and I don't know how much time I have left, and it did not have to be this way. Oh, my left leg's not working well today."

Hagit Limor voice over video: It wasn't always this way. Eighteen months ago, Jenell Olson was riding high. She owned a horse, a home in Mount Lookout and a thriving business.

Jenell Olson on tape: "One day I looked in the mirror and there it was."

Hagit Limor voice over video: In April of 2001, Jenell found a lump in her breast. A biopsy proved it to be malignant.

Jenell Olson on tape: "I was shocked. I just never imagined that I could have breast cancer."

Dr. Donna Stahl gave Jenell a second opinion identical to the first.

Dr. Donna Stahl on tape: So we looked over the mammograms together and I said, 'Really, it would probably be in your best interest to have a mastectomy.'"

Hagit Limor voice over video: But Jenell was looking at an alternative. She found it in these tapes by Rahul Patel.

Rahul Patel's voice on an audio tape: "Now I have given you the power in your hand to heal."

Hagit Limor voice over video: Rahul shares his story of healing after cancer surgery, on tape and the Internet...

Rahul Patel's voice on an audio tape: "I died on the table and I went inside the light and in the light I felt I was with God."

Hagit Limor voice over video: ... in seminars..

Rahul Patel's voice on an audio tape: "Fifteen years ago I died (chokes up) and I went into the light."

Hagit Limor voice over video: ... and interviews.

Rahul Patel's voice on an audio tape: "And I went into the light. (chokes back tears) I was in the presence of that light."

Hagit Limor voice over video: To Jenell, Rahul's alternative healing sounded much better than the doctors'.

Jenell Olson on tape: "I was afraid of the chemotherapy. I was afraid of the surgery and I kept getting messages that other things were possible."

Hagit Limor on tape: "And you wanted to believe in something?"

Jenell Olson on tape: "And I wanted to believe."

Hagit Limor voice over video: So she flew to Rahul's home in Los Angeles. For five days she says he made her listen to his tapes, deprived her of sleep 'til finally...

Jenell Olson on tape, crying: "I popped. And at that point he said there was a shift and he took my hands to my breast and he goes like this (motions with hand) on both of them, and he said, 'You're healed.'"

Hagit Limor voice over video: Jenell believed it. She gave up her life here, moved to California and travelled with Rahul to tell of her healing but physically, she was feeling worse. Finally in June, she agreed to the mastectomy doctors had recommended 14 months earlier. But by now, the cancer had spread to her bones.

Her life savings drained, she says much of it to support Rahul's work. She says he now told her to move back so her family could take her in.

Jenell Olson on tape: "Now now I have advanced breast cancer."

Rahul Patel on tape talking with a couple: "Let it go."

Hagit Limor voice over video: We found Rahul Patel at this expo in Columbus last month.

Rahul Patel on tape, talking with a couple: "And do like this." (Patel blows.)

Hagit Limor voice over video: He sat down to talk to us about energy healing.

Rahul Patel on tape: "There are 3,500 medically documented cases who had terminal cancer, malignant cancer and this caused spontaneous remission."

Hagit Limor voice over video: Then we brought up Jenell.

Hagit Limor on tape, talking to Rahul: "Do you believe that Jenell Olson was healed of cancer at some point?"

Rahul Patel on tape: "Well, how do you know the name?"

Hagit Limor on tape, talking to Rahul: "Because she has called."

Jenell Olson on tape: "And he said, 'You're healed.'"

Hagit Limor on tape, talking to Rahul: "Do you believe she was healed at a certain point of the cancer?"

Rahul Patel on tape: "Now that only she can say. I cannot comment on that."

Hagit Limor on tape, talking to Rahul: "Did you ever tell her that she was healed?"

Rahul Patel on tape: "No, I, I was helping her."

Jenell Olson on tape: "He got into my mind."

Rahul Patel on tape: "I have no way of controlling anyone's mind because all I have to do is take responsibility for my own life and I have no power over anyone. The power is them."

Jenell Olson on tape: "He physically murdered me, financially robbed me and spiritually raped me."

Hagit Limor on tape, talking to Rahul: "Is any of that true?"

Rahul Patel on tape: "You tell me how you can do that."

Hagit Limor voice over video: Last month, while she was still able to walk, Jenell confronted Rahul Patel at one of his seminars.

Jenell Olson on tape: "Thank you, Mr. Patel, for advising me to argue with my doctors, for advising me to turn my back on my family, for advising me to give up everything I owned. You are an evil man."

Rahul Patel on tape: "Jenell, I am praying for you. I care for you. If you believe, it's fine. But God will take care."

Hagit Limor talking on tape to Dr. Stahl: "Do you believe Jenell Olson would have done better had she had the mastectomy originally when you recommended it?"

Dr. Donna Stahl on tape: "I would say yes. It would have been much better for us to have gone ahead with the mastectomy and then treated her in the conventional fashion. I think her outcome could have been certainly different than what she faces now."

Hagit Limor on tape, talking to Rahul: "Did you do anything wrong when it came to Jenell?"

Rahul Patel on tape: "I have never done anything wrong except in my life, to be a better man."

Jenell Olson on tape: "He was gambling with my life. He was using me and gambling with my life. I know that now."

End of I-Team package.

Hagit Limor on set: Two weeks after her confrontation with Rahul, Jenell could no longer walk. The cancer that had eaten through her shoulder now claimed her hip. Doctors had to replace it.

She says all her hair's gone from chemotherapy to lessen the pain. Her home and business, all her money gone, she now depends on the family she had cut from her life.

She says she knows she's dying, but Rahul told us he still believes in her power to heal.