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The Gawler Foundation Conference An opportunity to explain MJA errors

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The Gawler Foundation’s annual conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel Melbourne this weekend November 12 and 13. I trust that this could be an opportunity for speakers such as Professor Ian Olver from the Cancer Council and the MJA article’s authors, to discuss and disclose to the public, health professionals and the cancer community, why such significant errors in the timelines and photographs relating to Ian Gawler’s cancer recovery were altered and published in Australia’s most prestigious journals – the Medical Journal of Australia. The MJA took a total of one year to deliberate on the facts I had provided before publishing my refute article. Fortunately I had kept original photos and documents that prove my case. You can view my refute letter by selecting the link below:
‘Patients at Risk from Inaccurate Clinical Reporting in a High-Profile Story: Comment and Corrections’ 20 September 2010 MJA Volume 193 Number 6 20 September 2010- pp371-372 http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/193_06_200910/letters_200910_fm-1.html
Recently I met with Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke whose daughter Monique tragically died last year from advanced secondary breast cancer. A believer in natural therapies approaches to cancer, she avidly read self-help books and used natural therapies to alleviate her cancer symptoms for some time. She did not believe in mammograms. By the time she reached hospital – it was too late. Devastating for loving parents to endure.
The Satori case from Perth reported in the Australian newspaper last Saturday is another chilling report and a tip of the iceberg in alternative cures for cancer that are flooding the community!
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/cancer-patient-smelled-of-spices/story-e6frg6nf-1225948551756
Over the past few years I have seen an alarming increase in emaciated and debilitated cancer patients on vegan diets – some while on chemotherapy and others who have been following the natural therapies path. I have seen in my practice some shocking tumour masses befitting 3rd world countries where treatments are not available. The Cancer Council reported the following in an article by Jill Stark March 2010 the Melbourne AGE: Continue reading “The Gawler Foundation Conference An opportunity to explain MJA errors”

Ian Gawler – A Survivor's Bemusement?

The fact that Ian Gawler survived his wrangle with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) is highly significant, however when a cancer suvivor becomes famous for just that – surviving, there are public responsibilities inherent in the role. One of them is accuracy about the story, time-lines and incidents crucial to their survival. A high profile patient must be transparent with the details, medical history, photographic and radiographic evidence and needs to be answerable to the public and the medical community – especially if obvious flaws are brought to their attention. These “flaws” were made very obvious in an article about the patient under the banner of “True Stories” – a 2008 Australian Medical Journal (MJA) article. Medical journal articles give enormous credibility to ‘alternate cancer cure claims’ and are supposedly peer reviewed and accurate.

This blog was never intended for speaking out against the story that I was so intimately a part of – however when one can see that the MJA story in question had such a makeover as to make it almost unrecognizable – then for me not to make a statement and rectify the errors in a public forum would be reprehensible.

So cancer patients beware: Since most of you don’t have the luxury of reading refutes in medical journals spreading the true version this story is the value of my blog.

When open comment is sought after errors are brought to attention and there is silence – I am concerned.
When I write to Dr Ruth Gawler, Professor George Jelinek and Ian Gawler about the significant errors and I get no reponse – only silence – I am concerned.
When I read their rufute of my factual timeline letter in the MJA and they do not address or worse, show indifference to the facts – I am deeply concerned.
When I see comments like the following quote from Ian Gawler saying: – ” It is rather bemusing to be a long term cancer survivor and to have so many people claiming to be responsible for curing you and to have their own version of what you did” – having been instrumental in many of the treatments we tried and having walked the arduous path to his recovery alonside him – I am am not only concerned but shocked!

Copy of Ian in Philippines March 1976 — Ian Gawler - after Meares and Gerson diet Photo taken Philippines March 1976

So…. to you the patient or caregiver – if this blog is serving its purpose to help you, it is imperative I address these critical errors in Ian Gawler’s story.

My new Institute’s charter is to provide cancer patients and caregivers with accurate cancer therapy information as well as information about the traps, tricks, scams and fraudulent statements in profusion on the internet and in the plethora of do-it-your-self cancer books and blogs now available to cancer patients – all at the touch of a “mouse.”

Therefore it would be unethical of me and certainly not in the public interest if I chose to ignore the version of Ian Gawler’s medical history and remission story that was published in Dec 11 2008 MJA ( Medical Journal of Australia). Incidentally about the same time Ian’s Biography, The Dragon’s Blessing was penned by Guy Allenby.

After almost a year of scrutiny, fact checking and cross referencing – the MJA decided to publish my refute of the story along with original photographs, correct dates and many other corrections. Ironically, Allenby’s biography actually validates the dates I have included in my refute letter!!

How could Dr Ruth Gawler and Prof George Jelinek got it so wrong? All they had to do was read the Dragon’s Blessing or previous articles in the Gawler Foundation’s Inspiring People or read the timelines that were previously published on the Gawler Foundation website or even read a copy of the Australian Doctor September 3 1983 as I did when verifying what corresponded with my memory. If I find out the answer to the question – rest assurred it will be published here.

But – there is more…

1. The Patient never adhered to a vegan diet – neither throughout his recovery period 1975 – 1978 nor for the following years we were married 1978 – 1997.

2. Inversion of timelines as evidenced by the photographs published by the MJA 2010. Even in their reply to my refute – Drs Gawler & Jelinek are still claiming these photographs were taken in 1976!!- They were unaware that I had provided the MJA with my originals at the last minute prior to publication. The new date on the photos happens to fit in with their version of the 2008 True story; which states …. only after Ian Gawler failed chemotherapy and other medical treatments – did he then consult Ainslie Meares. However Ian can’t have consulted Ainslie then because he first consulted Meares 12 December 1975. ( see page 74 The Dragon’s Blessing) This is a timeline error of 19 months and corresponds with my memory!

MJA published 20 September 2010 — Ian Gawler - Photos with actual dates dsiplayed MJA 2010

Ian’s now very famous photographs are dated and have been reproduced many times in many publications including many of his own.
The date is clearly stated – they were taken 7 July 1977 when Ian Gawler was basically well – not when he was critically ill Feb 1976.

3. The 3^rd not so publicly known issue: That Ian failed to correct Ainslie Meares wrong version of our story in 1978. Meares also inverted critical medical timelines. He also states Ian had a mid thigh amputation. Ian is aware I have tried to correct this error since 1978.

1. The 1978 Meares article – misreported
http://gawlerfoundationmedia.com.au/2008/11/10/medical-journal-of-australia-case-study-by-ainslie-meares-1978
2. The 2008 MJA “True Stories article – even more errors
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/189_11_011208/jel11032Cancer
3. Patients at Risk from Inaccurate Clinical Reporting in a High-Profile Story: Comment and Corrections’ 20 September 2010 MJA Volume 193 Number 6 20 September 2010- pp371-372
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/193_06_200910/letters_200910_fm-1.html

I encourage you to look at the facts – view the MJA articles online and then make up your own mind. The question of why the story changed after 1996 and why the makeover aoccurred just might be related to attempts to write me out of Ian’s story and the Gawler Foundation’s history. Failing to report the whole story in context and accurately presented is a great travesty for cancer patients and caregivers.

My advice – Choose CAM therapies wisely – check facts and claims – your life may depend upon it! Grace Gawler: http://www.gracegawler.com
If you would like more information and an information package on this topic please email me via my website.

Ian Gawler – A Survivor’s Bemusement?

So cancer patients beware: Since most of you don’t have the luxury of reading refutes in medical journals spreading the true version this story is the value of my blog.

When open comment is sought after errors are brought to attention and there is silence – I am concerned.
When I write to Dr Ruth Gawler, Professor George Jelinek and Ian Gawler about the significant errors and I get no reponse – only silence – I am concerned.
When I read their rufute of my factual timeline letter in the MJA and they do not address or worse, show indifference to the facts – I am deeply concerned.
When I see comments like the following quote from Ian Gawler saying: – ” It is rather bemusing to be a long term cancer survivor and to have so many people claiming to be responsible for curing you and to have their own version of what you did” – having been instrumental in many of the treatments we tried and having walked the arduous path to his recovery alonside him – I am am not only concerned but shocked!

So…. to you the patient or caregiver – if this blog is serving its purpose to help you, it is imperative I address these critical errors in Ian Gawler’s story.

But – there is more…

1. The Patient never adhered to a vegan diet – neither throughout his recovery period 1975 – 1978 nor for the following years we were married 1978 – 1997.

Grace Gawler – The Australian – Comments on Spontaneous Remission

Visit www.gracegawler.com for more information about cancer solutions.

Adam Cresswell-Doctors attribute sudden cancer cures to biology, not God…And medical experts say the phenomenon, while little understood, is likely to have biological rather than spiritual explanations says an article in this weekend’s The Australian. CLICK HERE
Now this is a topic dear to my heart and one that has been topical in my own sphere of work; as outlined in the Australian – Friday 8 October 2010 in an article also authored by Adam Cresswell. CLICK HERE
These two stories are related whether we are examining cancer healing miracles of Mary McKillop by religious means or patients with advanced cancer who claim to have been cured by lifestyle and meditation, thus creating the link to a spiritual intervention causing the healing.
Here is where the waters muddy – Are miraculous acts of healing associated with innate, natural biological responses and can these be triggered at a point in time when faced with death? Intangibles such as faith, will to live, love, hope, inspiration may weave a complex partnership between biology and spirit reaching a place where the criteria for healing can come together – AKA The Spontaneous Remission.
The Australian quotes Sydney oncologist David Bell, co-wrote a book on so-called spontaneous remission. He said he knew of about 400 confirmed cases worldwide over the past 150 years.
For hundreds of years, the phenomenon of spontaneous remission has fascinated the greatest minds in cancer medicine. US researchers Caryle Hirshberg and Brendan O’Regan authored a classic which are a must have for anyone researching the subject: “Spontaneous Remission: An Annotated Bibliography“.
Continue reading “Grace Gawler – The Australian – Comments on Spontaneous Remission”

Gawler Foundation – Grace Gawler – Beating the Silence

By Pip Cornall – In the somewhat sensationalized but revealing article by Adam Cresswell in the AUSTRALIAN last Friday, Oct 8, Ian Gawler was quoted as saying…
‘Dr Gawler said he believed it was “inappropriate” of the MJA to allow him to be identified, and that the journal had breached medical ethics by publishing the letter’ (MJA – Medical Journal of Australia)

It is important to state that Grace Gawler, author of the refute, knew there was no patient confidentiality issue because the Gawler Foundation had clearly identified him in their own brief – 2008 MJA article on their website Dec 10, 2008 – see below

“Medical Journal of Australia – Ian Gawler case study – Posted on December 10, 2008 by gawlerfoundationmedia

Case report in the December 2008 edition of the Medical Journal of Australia, written by Prof. George Jelinek and Dr Ruth Gawler. It is a 30 year follow up of the remarkable recovery of Dr Ian Gawler who conquered serious cancer through meditation, diet and loving support. A 1978 case report in the Journal by Dr Ainslie Meares described a 25-year-old man with disseminated osteogenic sarcoma whose metastases regressed after treatment with diet and intensive meditation. Thirty years later, there has been no recurrence of his cancer, and a recent pneumonectomy for chronic bronchiectasis revealed mature cancellous bone in the resected lung. The man is otherwise well. (MJA 2008; 189: 663-665) Read Dr Meares’ original case study”

Grace Gawler, as someone intimately involved in this story, saw it as a duty of care to point out the multiple discrepancies in the 2008 MJA article. Grace has always been concerned for cancer patients who may make treatment choices based on the Gawler story. A further concern is that doctors who assume credibility in peer reviewed MJA articles, may also give advice based on an account written under the banner of ‘true stories.’

Grace Gawler’s Sept 2010 MJA article provides unequivocal photo evidence that the reported story was seriously flawed. The article can be accessed here

More detailed accounts can be found on Grace’s site at Press Media Kit

Well known oncologist, Prof Ray Lowenthal, had for decades been concerned about Ian Gawler’s healing story and its widening influence – as the Gawler Foundation grew. Click here for his article in Cancer Forum ( scroll down to see the Ian Gawler reference)

Beating the Silence – The Age 2007 – Grace Gawler's Return of Media Presence

By Pip Cornall

A determination to tell the accurate version about Australia’s most famous recovered cancer patient, Ian Gawler, and to uphold ethical standards for therapists at the Gawler Foundation she co-directed, have cost Grace Gawler dearly.

Few people knew what happened when Grace Gawler disappeared from the Gawler Foundation along with her regular media appearances. Horrendously ill just days after her marriage abruptly ended, she found herself in the position of many of her patients. But unbelievably she was without support! With three children at home her financial struggle now began and her survival was severely threatened. Remarkably even twenty severe surgeries over the next 13 years and compromised finances has not damaged her spirit and has only empowered her work with cancer patients. This test in overcoming adversity enabled her to ‘walk a mile in cancer patients shoes.’

In the short space of time immediately post marriage, all forms of adversity slammed Grace. Soon, even her best selling book, Women of Silence, had its contract rescinded and copyright returned. Next, Grace found herself silenced by the media in Australia. In contrasts, while visiting overseas for life saving operations between 2002 -5, Grace experienced no such media silence and lectured in England, Ireland, and Holland to full and enthusiastic audiences.

Beating the Silence in The Age, 2007, was the only significant media coverage Grace has been able to secure since leaving the Gawler Foundation until the recent Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) 2010 article and somewhat sensationalized coverage in the Australian on Frid, 8, 2010. The Age article, Beating the Silence tells more of Grace’s remarkable journey.

As Hemingway said …’Courage is Grace under pressure’ Nothing could be more accurate about Grace’s tenacity over decades to correct inaccurate versions of the story she was so intimately involved win. The driving force was a moral imperative that cancer patients need accurate information on which to make treatment decisions.

VIDEO- WOMEN OF SILENCE –

Max Awarenness: Video – Women of Silence – An interview with Grace Gawler on Breast Cancer and Emotional healing.

Beating the Silence – The Age 2007 – Grace Gawler’s Return of Media Presence

By Pip Cornall

VIDEO- WOMEN OF SILENCE –

Max Awarenness: Video – Women of Silence – An interview with Grace Gawler on Breast Cancer and Emotional healing.

Integrated Cancer Medicine requires Integrated Participants – part 2

By Pip Cornall

Grace Gawler, a vegetarian from age five, went on to work in a veterinary clinic while still at junior high school. Thus the vegetarian interested in health and natural treatments became grounded in science, pathology, bio-chemistry, anatomy and so on. She had a desire for all things natural including an interest in natural cures for cancer in animals. Over the years, when appropriate, she experimented with natural medicine as a complement to conventional veterinary treatments. Eventually she concluded that both systems of medicine need to be utilized for the best outcome. Thus was born her integrative approach.

It followed that Grace’s cancer work, which began when her boyfriend, Ian Gawler, lost his leg to bone cancer, was a blend of both forms of medicine – conventional and alternative. Now with 35 years of cancer experience behind her, Grace describes her work as integrated cancer support medicine and is known for this stance within the medical community.

But not every cancer practitioner practices integrative medicine – there is still too much ‘either/or’ medicine. So what is needed to end the polarization between the cancer healing medicines? This is a topic we’ll be tackling in our new Grace Gawler Institute for Integrated cancer Solutions. Continue reading “Integrated Cancer Medicine requires Integrated Participants – part 2”

The Role of Meditation in a High Profile Cancer Remission

The following extracts from my memoirs Grace, Grit and Gratitude (self-published Oct 2008) aims to set right the long held concept that meditation and a vegan diet played a major role in Ian Gawler’s cancer cure.

For many years I have been trying somewhat unsuccessfully to correct published accounts of our story, however the true story as revealed, may hold many more possibilities, inspiration and research options for those going through the cancer experience.
To clarify, Ian first saw Ainslie Meares 12 December 1975 – when a bony metastasis was diagnosed in his right groin. Ian spent 6 weeks under Meares meditation directives – deteriorating significantly during that time; so much so that we abandoned his groups and his technique; choosing to explore other options. There has been much confusion about this point because in 1978 Meares erroneously reported Ian’s medical history, distorting the timeline and making it appear that Ian had attended his sessions when his cancer was widespread. Many may have seen the now famous pictures first published in You Can Conquer Cancer. These are not pictures taken when Ian first saw Meares (Dec 1975) but were taken July 1977 – 19 months after he first saw Meares. At that time Ian was quite well – but was carrying an enormous tumour load.
Meditation and diet had not impacted the cancer growth – but perhaps there was a silent healer within; unknown to us until Ian’s remission June 30 1978. More about that later.
In brief Meares’ error has provided the foundation for the volumes of misreporting of Ian Gawler’s remission.

February 1976:
Regarding Meditation-From my memoirs

“…..Ian and I knew how bad it was ‘24-7’, and that he would soon die meditating if we did not do something else, so that day marked the ending of our formal relationship with Ainslie Meares. I did not see him again, but Ian kept in touch with him from time-to-time.
While meditation is a wonderful tool that supports patients in many ways, it did not play the most significant role in Ian’s remission. How do I know? Simply because I was there, I was present before, during and after his cancer and believe my view to be accurate. During our darkest days when Ian’s prognosis was two to three weeks to live, an emaciated, pain riddled and rapidly deteriorating Ian kept hoping that Meares’ technique would be the turning point.

Our lives became a hellish continuum of sleepless nights, enemas and eventually morphine when the pain was beyond the pail. Weeks passed and as he tried and tried to meditate, day by day he became immobile, more ill and in greater pain such that I had to confront Meares on the ‘just keep meditating’ issue.

Ian had followed reluctantly but he knew that although meditation was helping him spiritually, it was not having the desired affects physically. He so much wanted to believe that meditation could cure; but the facts spoke for themselves; his condition was deteriorating at an alarming speed and had we not tried out other treatments at that time; he would certainly have died.

Ian Gawler 1976 — Ian in Philippines March 1976

We went on to discover the pathways of acupuncture and alternative medicine with a qualified general practitioner, which thankfully brought the first small window of pain relief. Ian’s pain had clearly become his disease and while it continued, he deteriorated so that all other therapies apart from large doses of love had little benefit. His pain absorbed every ounce of energy he had so that there was nothing left to assist his healing.”

After Ian’s remission in 1978:
PP 218-219 Grace, Grit and Gratitude

“An article that appeared in the Medical Journal of Australia saw our lives take a dramatic turn when a wave of media mayhem began due to an article titled ‘Regression of Osteogenic Sarcoma Associated with Intensive Meditation’ that appeared in The Medical Journal of Australia. (October 21, 1978)

The report summarized our healing journey in a few paragraphs and came as a complete surprise to me—I had not known about the release and publication, and felt flabbergasted by its content. The article begins “The patient aged 25 underwent a mid thigh amputation for osteogenic sarcoma, 11 months before he first saw me 21/2 years ago. He had visible bony lumps of about 2 cm in diameter growing from ribs, sternum and the crest of the ileum, and was coughing up small quantities of blood in which he said he could feel small spicules of bone…. etc.”

The article caused a media sensation, proposing a link between intensive meditation and remission of Ian’s cancer. However, as I was an intimate part of Ian’s cancer journey from the beginning and his sole carer, I could not make any sense of Meares’ version of our story.

Throughout Ian’s journey, I had documented and kept photographic records. My memories as the person who carried the daily loads during Ian’s illness were vivid, and I have no doubt that Ian’s history would have turned out differently, had we not moved on and incorporated other therapies other than meditation. I believe, as did doctors at the time, that his obituary, rather than an abstract about his recovery would have followed, had we not visited the Philippines. The supportive care, faith and love in action that we found there, inspired Ian; reconnecting him with his will to live, no doubt an element that helped him to survive.

I felt a weighing disappointment inside my body as I read the published case report, as if someone had reached into my chest and ripped out my heart. It was too late, our arduous healing journey now broadcast to the media, was an unacceptable misrepresentation that no doubt would be difficult to correct. I was angry that no one had consulted or informed me about the appearance of the abstract nor given the opportunity to review it before publication. I did not know what to do when our efforts were misreported and trivialised. Torn between acquiescence and accuracy, I had an ethical crisis. It was too late!

As predicted, the media soon ran the meditation cures cancer story while I became a voice lost in the wilderness. My concern was for the cancer population and their carers, a desperate group I had come to know well. I knew that patients and partners would try to replicate our story and I knew the unspoken hardships and pitfalls they would endure if they tried to assume our roles. Without our veterinary/medical knowledge, we could not have managed our situation—nor could we have made the crucial choices required when let down by therapy after therapy that failed us. More coming soon….

Buy Organic for 20 good reasons – Biological Farmers of Australia

Featuring article from the Biological Farmers of Australia see http://www.bfa.com.au/index.asp?Sec_ID=8 – by Pip Cornall

In Grace’s 35 years of cancer work she has seen increasing numbers of farmer patients and their wives with pesticide and heavy metal residues proven by diagnostic tests (blood, urine, hair analysis). Many of them have become cancer patients. So the article from Biological Farmers of Australia website is a great reminder to revise our interest in organic farming and eat like our grandparents ate – pesticide free.

Buy Organic for 20 good reasons:

1. Reduce chemical runoff and residues in drinking water, waterways and coastal areas. Runoff is the main cause of diminishing marine life, animals and plants. Approximately 30 000 tonnes of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators are used each year in Australia (OzProspect, 2003).

2. Restore soils for productive cropland and secure the future of Australian agriculture. Forty-eight per cent of Australian croplands have topsoils that are marginally acidic or worse (Land & Water Australia, 2001). Organic farming systems are based on the principle of land and soil regeneration and best environmental practice. Continue reading “Buy Organic for 20 good reasons – Biological Farmers of Australia”