I'm going to have a protective cub moment. I just listened to the @audiobook title, "The Woman Who Fooled the World". I love listening to books when I workout, it makes the time pass quicker. I do this machine at the gym I like to call the gazelle. It looks similar to an elliptical, but there are more movement options than the elliptical and at times, I feel like I look like a gazelle leaping through the plains, hence my nickname for it. I can get a bit overzealous on it if I'm not careful! And as I was listening to this book, I nearly flew off of it at times due to mere disgust and horror at the audacity this, Belle Gibson had to the monstrosity that is cancer.
In summary, she claimed she had cancer and cured herself from it by eating clean and pure, and from that profited by growing an Instagram following, staring an app based on her lies and even got a book deal. Getting a book deal out her lies is just the icing for this aspiring author.
My mother had cancer. Twice. You don't lie about having cancer. We would have tried almost anything to ease her pain. You don't lie about pain you have from cancer. You can't fake what havoc it does to your body. But behind a keyboard, Gibson did. She faked it and profited.
It made me think about these Instagram influencers who have literally, just that, an influence over so many vulnerable people just looking for something: an inspiration, a cure, a fix of some sort. Push your beauty creams and your favorite shops, share what underwear hides your lines or bras push up the girls, share your favorite teas and juices, do whatever you want on your Instagram, but DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT use it to profit off someone's fear and desperation.
I have seen people share their illnesses online and their struggles to find cures or remedies and then watched them profit by starting stores or businesses from it too. I have watched it with my own two eyes. I have watched yoga studios push teacher trainings and pump out "life coaches". I have seen remedies for hair loss and weight gain, ingrown toenails and smelly armpits, I have seen personal trainers become self help gurus and I have seen celebrities become chefs. We all have seen this. And I have seen people become so mesmerized by what they see online, they are willing to try any of it.
Take what you read at face value. Bring it to a professional and I don't mean one who went to Instagram university. Don't mess with your future, your health or your joy by trusting someone else's "perceived" journey online. I had never heard of this Belle Gibson before, but I've seen a multitude of her in other influencers.
I love to watch funny videos or read inspirational quotes, I'm guilty of sharing them to the masses. I'm writing a book and I would love to grow my audience. Hell, I used to do stand-up comedy and I still made my sets personal, and truthful, with just a hint of southern exaggeration. I like to see someone has bettered themself and sharing their journey on how they got there. I have bought clothes specifically targeted to me online, even with some luck that they worked out too. But I'll be damned if I take medical, healing advise from someone online just because they posted a pretty picture and a capturing message alongside it.
I suggest you think about it too. Cancer is not a disease you should ever pretend you have. Faking healing cancer and inviting others to do the same based on your app remedies should be a criminal offense.
My hilarious and lively mom who lived life to the fullest sought only advise from medical professionals on her cancer journey, she is the one who deserves a book about her. Not some lying, attention seeking influencer. I'm not saying the medical professionals always have it right, practicing medicine is just that, a practice. But trying something that has gone through phases and phases of clinical trials is so different than trying something from someone who buys followers. Careful who you put on a pedestal.
Just a little Tuesday morning rant for you.