ABC North Coast- Bruce McKenzie interviews Grace Gawler 12-1-08 prior to her book signing event in Byron Bay
Grace’s newly released memoirs, Grace Grit and Gratitude will be featured at Book City at the Byron Bay book launch -
The details are below….
BYRON BAY - Meet and Greet the Author:
BOOK SIGNING of Grace, Grit & Gratitude - Get your Christmas copies personally signed by the author.
Tuesday DECEMBER 2
Time: Noon - 2 pm
Shop 3/9 Lawson Street BYRON BAY NSW. 2481 PHONE 02-6685 7820
The Gawler Foundation co Founder Grace Gawler- A Woman’s Journey
PRESS RELEASE NOVEMBER 27 2008
Grace Gawler’s latest book, her Memoirs Grace, Grit and Gratitude, shed light on her extraordinary life. A previously untold story, the book takes the reader into a world that demonstrates the power of hope, perseverance and determination that Grace embraced to achieve positive benefits for her then dying husband. Bone cancer had claimed his right leg and secondary cancer was about to claim his life.
Grace had married Ian when he was given just a few weeks to live! Over several years he recovered and Ian Gawler became Australia’s most recognized ex cancer patient and his story became legend – but little is known of the woman behind the man – until now!
Their journey together to find a “cure” took them around the world; the story reading like a real-life Da Vinci code as they attempted to unravel the mysteries of healing.
The story, amazing as it is, could stop there; however Grace’s ground breaking work continued.
Because of her intensely personal experience as a partner-carer, Grace was aware that the patient as well as the partner needed support, educational material and resources. During the seventies and eighties and to a lesser extent today; the role of the carer-partner is often undervalued. As well, knowing that lifestyle attributed to the cause of at least 75% of cancers, she was motivated to share their experience with others. She envisioned a lifestyle and educational centre for cancer patients and partners – a place where they could learn tools and skills to be empowered to face the biggest battle of their lives. Vision became concrete and the Yarra Valley Living Centre was created.
Throughout these busy years, Grace wrote her first book, Women of Silence – a book about emotional recovery and breast cancer, she created the first breast cancer support groups and retreats in Australia—all achieved while living in a small ill equipped shed on their rural acreage at Yarra Junction where, without usual conveniences, she had 3 homebirths. As the years passed, her life presented a barrage of seemingly insurmountable challenges that would daunt even the most stress resilient.
However, despite more than an adequate dose of adversity, Grace has lived her life with humour and passion—richly reflected in the words of her story. 1997 brought Grace’s biggest challenge. The collapse of her marriage followed by a routine surgery that went awry, led her on her own healing journey. Despite horrendous complications from her surgery, she searched the world for a solution and eventually—after 9 years and 16 surgical procedures, she received a bionic implant that restored function and gave her back her life! A world ‘first’ for her condition, she has paved the way for others to undergo similar procedures.
Grace’s book is a remarkable Australian woman’s story of battling the odds again and again – and shining. Hemingway wrote “Courage is Grace under pressure’.
Due to the wide ranges of women’s issues outlined in the book; without doubt, Grace’s Grace Grit and Gratitude is destined to be a best-seller.
Available at selected bookstores – Distributed by Brumby books Australia & NZ. www.brumbybooks.com.au
Grace Gawler Writes About the Early Days of Conquering Cancer
Following are some some exerpts from my memoirs Grace, Grit and Gratitude. I was 21 years of age when faced with full-time caring for Ian Gawler. These were challenging days for a carer/partner who was thrown in at the deep end- especially when our relationship was relatively new. It was not as easy as has been portrayed in the media - the challenges, physical loads and responsiblities were enormous. It was certainly not a single-handed event as has been said in many interviews. Indeed, to say so, sets cancer patients and partners up for an even rockier ride through this insidious illness. When a partner is so ill and the prognosis poor - it would be impossible to even attemprt recovery without a pro-active carer. In writing my Memoirs I have attempted to provide the reader with a realistic and authentic picture of our attempts to conquer cancer. Read more
Grace, Grit and Gratitude - available now at Brumby Books
Grace, Grit and Gratitude is now more widely available. It can still be purchased online at www.gracegawler.com or copies can be purchased at Brumby books - select the following link to view Brumby Books latest catalogue ( November-December 2008 ) featuring Grace’s Memoirs on the front page. Brumby Books are the sole distributors for Grace.Grit and Gratitude. Enjoy!
http://brumbybooks.com.au/downloads/newsletters/196_Nov_-_Dec_08_Newsletter_email.pdf
The Gawler Foundation-Yarra Valley Living Centre Co-founder Grace Gawler
Grace Gawler’s Memoirs, Grace Grit and Gratitude, for the first time, tells the story of how the Gawler Foundation and the Yarra Valley Living Centre came into existence.
The following is an exerpt from the book:
Chapter 20
“It was late evening when we arrived at a small village called Yarra Junction in the heart of the Yarra Valley. It had been a ten-hour drive and too late to arrive at Roger’s unannounced, so we spent the night at the local caravan park. What a surprise when we awoke the next morning! Surrounded by mountains, old gracious gum trees and a river, the ground itself hummed with nature’s rhythms; the bird choruses were amazing and the air was crispy clean. I had never experienced such things before. In the freshness and dewiness of the early morning, bright blue sky above me, baby on my back, I pirouetted on the spot, taking in the awesome 360º views and breathing in the delicious aromas created by warm sun on gum trees. It was my birthday, November 19, 1979 and I had found home.”
Chapter 21 - On the threshold of a Dream
”Inspired by the events of the early morning, we landed on the doorstep of the local real estate office at nine o’clock. Read more
Grace Gawler’s Grit and Gratitude
Since its release in early October, Grace Gawler’s Memoirs, Grace, Grit and Gratitude has gathered excellent feedback from readers in Australia and New Zealand. In these troubled times the world is ready for more stories of hope and inspiration. A few recent comments from readers are listed below.
John W. Travis, MD, MPH, co-author, Wellness Workbook writes:
“As a Johns Hopkins preventive medicine-trained physician, who developed the first wellness centre in the US, I am very aware of the need for balance around health issues. Grace Gawler’s memoirs, Grace, Grit, and Gratitude, apart from being an inspiring and gripping story, alerts the reader to a whole host of assumptions that are prevalent regarding cancer healing. It is a vital exploration into what really heals. The book is aptly named! Read more
The Gawler Foundation-Co-founder Grace Gawler
Grace Gawler’s memoirs: Grace,Grit and Gratitude is of historical significance because it maps and traces the origins of The Gawler Foundation through the eyes and experience of co founder Grace Gawler. The reader will be taken on a very personal journey of discovery…Was meditation the answer, the reason why Ian recovered? Or perhaps it was diet and positive thinking? No, says Grace Gawler who was there; they have some importance, but it was neither meditation nor diet - in fact with all our intensity and energy in these two areas - Ian spiralled into a rapid decline and was given a few weeks to live. Meditation was unable to help his pain - so we scaled down the intensity of the dietary approach and concluded our time with Ainslie Meares. This very challenging and harrowing period is described in Grace, Grit and Gratitude. These approaches played a small part of a very large circle of therapies - the most important being a total surprise - a healing that appeared from out of left field! His remission was gradual and amazingly; Ian lived long enough - living well with cancer - for a miraculous event to occur. Herein I learned a valuable lesson about keeping the human spirit alive. The turning point was the Philippines - where Ian crossed the bridge - he became a man living with cancer not a man dying from it. It was in the Philippines where I learned a hands-on healing method - magnetic healing and Ian had more than 5000 hours of this treatment before and after his remission. Grace and Ian’s combined skills made for an effective healing partnership.
Wellbeing magazine published the following quote from Ian in 1984:
“Many individuals contributed to my recovery. My wife Gayle( now Grace) has played the most significant role by far. If everyone could have a person in their life, so capable of showering total loving care on them, as Gayle (Grace) has for me, then disease would be a thing of the past. She has shared in all my trials and efforts, and, most importantly, right from the start, she always ‘knew’ I would get better….no doubts she ‘knew’ and remained devoted to helping me do it.” Read more
Grace Gawler - The Gawler Foundation and Grace, Grit and Gratitude
Grace, Grit and Gratitude – Grace’s Memoirs (October 2008) is a story of a woman’s courage to take responsibility for another’s life – to dare—to think outside the square—to go against all opinion—a belief and love so strong that it breathed life into her dying partner. They married when he had just a few weeks to live. As the story weaves and unfolds, we see Grace’s absolute and unshakeable commitment and support work towards putting the flesh back on her partner’s bones. It took two and a half years of hard work. He recovered; but therein the story becomes even more intriguing as for the first time, in the public domain; step-by-step, Grace describes the complex issues that surrounded Ian Gawler’s remission and recovery.
If you have read You Can Conquer Cancer by Ian Gawler and are trying to follow his dietary regimen – then Grace, Grit and Gratitude is a must read—because the book accurately paints a realistic picture of the ups and downs and day-to-day challenges that the Gawler’s met throughout Ian’s recovery.
Grace Gawler Comments on Guy Allenby’s: The Dragon’s Blessing to be launched 10 October 2008
It is unusual if not rare that a formerly married, high-profile couple, launch their biography’s not only in the same year—but also in the same month, 7 days apart.
The discerning reader who purchases Ian Gawler’s biography Dragon’s Blessing due to be launched publicly at Readings Bookstore in Hawthorn Victoria Friday night 10 October 2008, may find themselves in a dilemma, particularly if they have had association with both co-founders of the Gawler Foundation.
Grace, Grit and Gratitude - Grace Gawler-First Edition Copies
Grace’s Memoirs have arrived and were launched at a celebration at the Gold Coast October 3. Copies of Grace’s remarkable story Grace, Grit and Gratitude are available now. Purchase online at www.gracegawler.com - Copies will be available in selected bookstores for Christmas (within Australia) Purchase your personally signed copy today or buy a copy for friend. For all enquiries contact Grace.
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Women Of Silence
