In 2007 Katherine Kizilos wrote a feature article for the Age newspaper Melbourne. The article begins…” She survived her husband’s illness only to fall prey herself to disease but Katherine Kizilos finds that Grace Gawler used the experience to launch a new life.”Gawler is a name familiar to those who want
to believe the human spirit conquers disease. Ian Gawler lost his leg to bone cancer but not his life and with wife Grace established in 1981 Australia’s first cancer support service, the Gawler Foundation. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
My life has had a theme of issues pertaining to silence – holding silence where appropriate, and breaking silence when essential!
My book Women of Silence (1994) was the first to open doors of communication surrounding breast cancer and emotional recovery – a little spoken of issue in those days; it formed the basis of breast cancer support groups in Australia.
Katherine Kizilos’ 2007 article after more than 2 decades of silence was the first article to publicly raise the the issue of Ian Gawler’s remission from cancer being in some way associated with tuberculosis – a very important scientific connection to make in the interest of cancer patients. An opportunity to discuss this important topic resurfaced in 2010 when the (MJA) Medical Journal of Australia published my refute letter in response to an incorrect version of Ian’s recovery story that appeared in the MJA in December 2008, under the title “True Stories”. But then – more silence…. with most newspaper medical reporters refusing to comment, with one exception!
To his credit, the Australian newspaper’s Adam Cresswell saw the importance of reporting my MJA 2010 letter, albeit it was ‘sensationalised’ with a fictitious “quarrelling wives” sub-heading which for some may have unfortunately smokecreened the importance of my revelations. My MJA letter highlighted provable mistakes, inaccuaries and incorrectly adjusted medical timelines in the 2008 version. The Australian Doctor wrote a follow up article and then Ian Gawler admitted on his blog & in the Australian Doctor that 2 of my significant corrections were indeed correct. But as far as cancer patients were concerned …..silence.
Andrew Vos from ACA (A Current Affair) came and filmed with me for hours in response to Cresswell’s article. I provided them with proof as published in my MJA 2010 letter – the segment was supposed to go to air in a few days – it is almost a year ….. it has not been shown…….more silence.
There are many, many more silences – all of significance to cancer patients………………
However – this time the most important silence that needs to be broken is the story of our son D, who is dealing with Eagles syndrome. D requires urgent neurovascular surgery that can only be performed in the USA. (see previous blog). The confidentiality issue with this silence is tricky, which is why the previous blog was titled Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures – because this critical issue has also met with….silence for D in trying to get financial help for his surgery. I cannot assist due to the costs of my 20 surgical procedures – 3 of which also had to 
performed overseas! My best chance to raise the $60,000 necessary for D’s life-saving surgery is the store of my books and eBooks to sell + workshops we give.
Please support this appeal …buy a book to save a life – a Gawler life! Please pass this on to all your friends. Thank you!
Please go to Resources ( Bookstore ) at:
http://gracegawler.com/Institute/?page_id=1892