For more than forty years, the mid-Michigan area has benefited from the educational leadership of Dr. Maxine Hankins Cain who started her stellar career as a primary teacher with the Detroit Public Schools in 1968.
Cain was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, to parents who were sharecroppers. They instilled the importance of education and community service in each of their seven children. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Norfolk State University, Dr. Cain went on to earn her graduate degree, administrative certificate and doctorate in K-12 Administration.
She is a nationally renowned public speaker, workshop presenter and has keynoted for numerous organizations such as The National Organization of Albinism Hypopigmentation, Dean Transportation and the Michigan Historical Society. Equally, Dr. Cain has a plethora of citations that include the Sojourner Truth Award given by the Greater Lansing Areas Negro Business and Professional Women’s’ Club, the Whitney Young Award given by Boy Scouts of America, and the National Storyteller Jackie Terrance Award. One would think that having so many noteworthy accomplishments, Maxine Hankins Cain would be ready to lay back and rest on her laurels. But wait…there’s more! She’s taking her role as educator to a whole new level That’s right, Maxine has added a new passion to her repertoire that is broadening her sphere of influence in a divine way.
If you are one of many fortunate people to have shared Maxine’s personal space, you already know that she is a naturalist in every sense of the word. She stopped eating beef and pork in 1972. Nor has she eaten fish or chicken since 1983. She’s donned natural hair since I met her almost forty years ago and joined the raw food movement more than two years ago. Cain benefits from regular colonics (colon cleansing), reflexology and foot detoxing.
That’s not all; now she’s a healer! That’s right, Dr. Maxine Hankins Cain has discovered the healing properties of Young Living essential oils that she shares and teaches with a renewed passion that is sweeping the country by storm! Chances are great that she’s always carrying some type of oil in her purse to help alleviate your pain or suffering. Ask her and see…
What fueled this passion, you ask? According to Cain, she attended “a retreat on raw foods near Coldwater, MI, and they started talking about the healing properties of essential oils.” The workshop piqued her curiosity to collect brochures, conduct personal research and soon thereafter, ordered her own kit. The rest is history.
“I’m not one who frequents the doctor’s office with aches and pains,” she said. “If I can find a natural way to cure things, I do that. We are our first doctors.” Her passion for this newfound ministry is contagious. I stopped by her house after she initially got involved with the oils, but I was there for the Cain’s Annual Blues Celebration. Amidst our conversation, I innocently mentioned a minor ailment that was plaguing me. Well, low and behold, out of left field and purely in Maxine Cain fashion, she cornered me with a mini presentation about “the oils.” She whipped out her kit so fast one would believe she’s a national oil presenter (which she probably is)!! I learned so much in just a few minutes that I almost bought my own Young Living Essential Oils Kit!
She knows her stuff and has numerous testimonies to share. One of her friends from Detroit was attending the Black Storyteller’s Conference in Wichita, Kansas and couldn’t lift her left arm. It was so bad that a passenger on her flight to Wichita had to help her fasten her seat belt. She had not placed deodorant on for several days. Dr. Cain (Not a medical doctor) applied several oils on her friend’s left arm, hands and feet. To her friend‘s surprise, within “twenty minutes, the oils had permeated and oxygenated the cells” and her friend was able to lift her left arm!
The next testimony involves Maxine’s friend’s daughter who was recovering from eye surgery, and was still seeing double after six months of recovery. Dr. Cain applied several oils to an eye pad, placed it over her eyes, rubbed her hands and feet with oils, and additionally, had her inhale the aroma of the oils. Within a day, the friend called late at night to report her daughter was no longer seeing double!
Her cardiologist even benefited from the essential oils! At a visit last year, he complained of a painful right thumb. Dr. Cain applied valor oil and the pain dissipated within minutes. He refused to have her put oils on his right knee that was also in pain. But she was ready!
A third testimony involves a friend who had a stroke that left her face slightly twisted. She stopped by the Cain’s home and Maxine gave her water with three or four drops of peppermint oil to drink. She applied several oils to her hands and feet while she also inhaled the aroma of the oils. After fifteen minutes, they both looked in the bathroom mirror and to their surprise, her face had returned to its normal state! Her husband, Dr. Eugene Cain also witnessed this. Her face was no longer twisted, but it was necessary to continue to apply the oils for several days to maintain the positive results. Needless to say, she purchased the kit, and now she is as pretty as ever. Dr. Eugene Cain, a former skeptic, is now a true believer!
A final and classic testimony involves a man who was installing their new windows. Dr. Maxine Cain noticed he was limping because of his toe that appeared to be in excruciating pain. She again offered him oils. After the window installer applied several oils to his toe in the bathroom, he excitedly came out of the bathroom and asked, “Is it suppose to work right away?” Dr. Cain asked if it actually worked right away and the pain was gone within five minutes. “It’s amazing what nature’s non-invasive oils can do,” Dr. Maxine exclaimed. “I go to bed every night with my aroma diffuser dispersing the smell of peppermint, valor, lavender or some form of oil. I even wear the oils. I can’t smell them, but others can.”
Cain “thinks we need to take better care of our ‘cells.’ We need to eat foods that nourish our cells in healthy ways, drink more water and exercise regularly. Dr. Cain concluded the interview in saying, “I am not a medical doctor! I am in no way perfect! I overeat at times, place exercising on the back burner and drink less water than my body needs, but I always try to regroup and refocus.”
She said, “I might drop dead tomorrow, but I am going to do all I can to stay on this side of the dirt for as long as I can! If we were more proactive relative to our health, the village would be a better place in which to live for many reasons. Let’s make 2018, the healthiest year ever!”