Preying on people's fears about cancer and exploiting empathy in order to make yourself look more sympathetic and more knowledgeable is despicable
My facebook and twitter feeds have been blowing up with stories about the Australian entrepreneur and health advocate (Belle Gibson of The Whole Pantry) who has confessed to lying about having blood, spleen, brain, uterus and liver cancers. She built her business empire on claiming to have cured herself with clean eating. To say that I'm saddened, angry and disappointed still doesn't scratch the surface of my feelings about this.
In a world that is inundated with heartbreaking stories about people who are fighting cancer, dying of cancer, struggling to survive the aftermath of the disease and who are fighting to ward off recurrences (or trying not to get cancer at all)... to learn that someone was maliciously lying about something so sensitive and feeding those lies to the public as the basis for answers to their concerns about cancer... is overwhelming.
All advice is not good advice
When I was diagnosed years ago, many well-intentioned friends and acquaintances offered advice about natural ways to cure myself of breast cancer. Each time a new unheard of berry or tropical fruit was touted as the best-kept secret of curing cancer, I cringed inside and rolled my eyes. I do believe that healthy eating and exercise helps all of us (patients, survivors, and the general public) to be healthier. But I do not believe that cancer is cured by healthy eating alone. I just don't believe that. I’m sorry.
I've also heard many stories about how cancer is never going to be cured because it's too profitable to treat us (patients/survivors) without actually answering our cries for cures. I've been told that as long as it is profitable to treat us, we will never see a cure. I don't believe this either.
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| Celebrated all over the world... shameful |
In all of my angst about all the money that circulates within this community regarding cancer, I have thought and wondered about the validity of such claims. Is it true? Is it simply too profitable to stop millions of people around the globe from suffering or dying, or living compromised lives because of cancer? I struggle with that because we have eradicated other diseases (or come really close to eradicating them) and the medical community manages to keep going on. I just refuse to believe that the entire medical community is that callous.
Lots of people and organizations do profit from cancer though, it is an expensive disease to treat. To that end, people are often desperate for cheaper, more natural, less traumatic treatment options
To be honest... a small sliver of myself does think that the profitability of cancer (from treatment to marketing, to medication, etc.) plays an interesting part in how we are progressing towards a cure. However, IF this is true in a larger way than I've allowed myself to consider, then I have to say that I don't believe it is possible. There are too many people watching too many other people die, struggle, live with pain from cancer for a conspiracy that large to work. Someone, somewhere would give up the truth. The real truth. And in a way that would force us to pay attention. I believe that. So, while cancer is truly profitable... I don't believe that there is a global conspiracy to keep millions of us sick.
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| After being cornered for not making charitable donations as she claimed, her long-standing lie fell apart and she finally told the truth |
Which brings me back to this young woman in Australia. Her business was predicated on the idea that she was naturally curing herself of several types of cancer by eating clean and exercising. I'm sure we've all read or heard stories about someone astounding their medical team with their healthy progress after making drastic changes in their lifestyle (food, exercise, etc.). I have believed, at some points in my journey, that perhaps juicing and or adopting a vegan or raw foods diet might help to keep me from ever having a recurrence of breast cancer. Each time I have considered it, I think about all of the athletic, clean eating people I know (or have read about) who are fighting cancer too.
I like meat too much to go raw vegan, but I think about it at least once or twice a month.
I confess, I've never read her blog and I have not purchased her app. But charlatans like her are all around us. I googled her blog name and came across her scrubbed social media accounts and a website for her app (and what I think may have been her blog once upon a time). It burns my butt and hurts my heart, to be honest, to see how deep her perception went.
I'm both angry and sad.
The anger is at the audacity of her to trick people this way. And to profit nearly a million dollars in the process?? Aaaaaaahhhhh!! When there are people struggling financially from a very real disease that costs them everything they have... and then some? *smh* So unfair.
The sadness is that so many of us are deeply frightened of this disease and the fact that there is no cure, that we grasp at every straw that claims to give us a bit of control and a fighting chance to survive. It is heartbreaking. Just take a little time today and read a few blogs by metastatic survivors... the lengths that they go to in order to gain a bit more time... a bit more life... is both humbling and inspiring at the same time. When I think of how many people may have followed her fake advice and cause themselves more pain, more agony… just hoping to find a basic answer to a complicated disease...tears form in my eyes.
I feel badly that she has put a strain on other health advocates (like myself) especially cancer advocates. She made an already challenging job, so much more difficult. Who will trust us now? *sigh*
I pity Belle Gibson. I really do. And I'm glad (for her) that she's not in America where she would have been
In my opinion... she didn't need the lie to be great.
What’s incredible is that without the fake stories about her health… she offered (it seemed) good advice about eating healthier and exercising. Her site was beautiful and the app she created (or had created) seems like it offered some amazing value. In other words, the lies she told unnecessarily about her health only tore up what seemed to be a pretty decent business otherwise. How sad.
And yet, I understand the pressure to get more followers, more readers… It is tough out here for an internet entrepreneur. The hustle is real.
As I continue to carve my path in the online entrepreneurial world and continue to establish myself as a voice in the breast cancer advocacy community, I understand the temptation to take shortcuts, to lie, to cheat... in order to obtain more attention, more readers, more clients and customers. As a businesswoman, I understand looking at the bottom line and wanting to see it grow. As a breast cancer survivor, I really understand wanting to make more money to help yourself and to help others around you who are struggling. The burden of cancer is a heavy one. Not all survivors have adequate support and income. So I can - almost - understand how she found herself on that slippery slope that caused her to think "no one will know" or "I'm not hurting anyone by saying this".
Except... Belle never had cancer. *deep sigh*
Blogging is a business. I have to remember that... always.
In a world that seems full of blogs and bloggers, when I see one who breaks through the fray to achieve high levels of fame and to make a lot of money... I can't help but to pay attention and to do a quick comparison of their success versus my own. It is sort of rare to see a health blogger (focused on cancer and not already a celebrity) to break through to stardom. I feel especially let down by this news but I am also encouraged. Her lie was horrible, but she did create a viable business. That gives me hope that I will do the same thing.
While I'm upset today about this deception, I remain committed to being the best breast cancer blogger that I know how to be. This may ring hollow but... I really am a survivor and I have the scars and medical records to prove it.
(Just in case some publishing house sees this and debates offering me a contract. I'm HERE for it... and I'm not lying about my history.)
All I can do at this point is to pray for her and keep my head up for my community. She's not the first deceptive person to prey on the cancer community. And I'm sure she won't be the last.
That's the really scary part. She won't be the last.
That's all for now,
Nic
PS. Tell me what you think about Belle and her deception. Leave a comment below.
SEE: The Whole Pantry author Belle Gibson admits she lied about having terminal cancer
SEE: Australian health blogger admits faking terminal cancer
SEE: The mystery of Belle Gibson, who claimed she cured cancer with clean living
