One of the first life lessons I was told was that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It’s so easy to want that magic cure, that effortless way to lose weight, those great profits with no risk or that perfect prince charming. Who can judge us for wanting to be healthy, thin, rich or happy?
It would be so much easier if all the promises of miracle cures were true and we could avoid the pain and death. To lose weight without dieting or exercising would be heaven, yet here on earth we still must do the work.
I had a good friend who got one of those letters; the ones that come from a prince in a strange foreign country that has millions trapped in a US bank that he can’t reach.
The letter pleaded for a paid fee, proposing $40,000 needed to be paid in America and if delivered he would reward her with $100,000.
I got one of those letters once. My friend showed me the letter and asked me what I thought. I told her that it was fraudulent and they just wanted her money. No matter how I argued with her about it and tried to dissuade her, she could not see past the $60,000 profit.
She sent the money and of course, lost it. She also lost her pride and her sense of knowing truth from falsehood. The shame of today is with the wide world of the internet, the tentacles of such fraudsters have grown beyond comprehension and people are losing more than money. They are dying.
Fraudsters are not new. Think of the old medicine conmen at carnivals or salesmen who would drive around the country in their wagon promising miracles in a bottle. People desperate for their prayers to be answered gladly paid the man who then drove off to sell in another town, not caring what harm he caused.
Today our computers and their promises can lead us to people who claim that your illness can and will be fixed and that modern medicine is poison. While some of these people may even believe it, that does not make it true. After losing loved ones to cancer, Alzheimer’s and AIDS, I understand the fear and the need for hope. That is why I find this all so frightening and dangerous.
On Netflix there is a limited miniseries called “Apple Cider Vinegar” which is based on the investigative book, “The Women Who Fooled the World” by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. I had read about the fake Australian wellness guru back in 2015 when she became a world news story.
As a person who has followed the trail of so-called healers who attack the most vulnerable for many years, I was hooked. Not only is this compelling television and reading, it may be lifesaving for some.
Gibson states, “I gave up on conventional treatment when it was making my cancer more aggressive and started to treat myself naturally. I have countless times helped others to do the same, along with leading them down natural therapy for everything from fertility, depression, bone damage and other types of cancer.”
Gibson created a million-dollar app picked up by Apple. In 2013 it was named their best food and drink app and the best iPhone app in the world. Apple’s creator, Steve Jobs, followed it. Before his death, Jobs stated how much he regretted that.
Gibson was frequently on television programs, magazine covers, published a book through Penguin and was a sought-after speaker. Her product line soared along with her highly devoted fan base that followed her treatment suggestions as well as stopping their medical treatment. They were a legion of passionately loyal followers.
Gibson had followed the breadcrumbs of many other natural health and antimedicine advocates such as Australia’s Jess Ainscough, who was gaining a strong following at the time. These were attractive women in their early twenties with compelling stories and even stronger storytelling talents.
Ainscough had cancer and was told she would need part of her arm amputated. She refused and sought out alternative cures. She discovered Max Gerson and his cures by detoxing the body and rebuilding the immune system with a clean diet, minerals and vitamins.
In 2010 Jesse found his wife practicing her deceased husband’s treatments in Mexico and began extreme practices; partaking in multiple coffee enemas daily, juice drinks on the hour and a strict dietary regimen along with meditation and other spiritual practices.
These teachings and treatments became an ingrained part of Ainscough’s message. She published a book called “Make Peace with Your Plate,” which was well received by readers but attacked by medical doctors who were concerned with the wave of alternate cures.
When her mother became ill with cancer, she encouraged her to come to a Mexican clinic to be cured. Though her disease was on the rise and she allegedly now had multiple cancers, she said that physically she was thriving, and her regime was helping her live a healthy life. Her mother later died.
The popular magazine, Elle, in an article claimed her to be “the most inspiring woman you’ve met this year.’’ When investigative reporters Donelly and Toscano received a lead that Gibson’s story was untrue they followed it. Hurray, good journalists! My heroes. Thus began one of the fastest growing stories and undoings in recent history.
The real culmination of this true story exploded on 60 Minutes in front of shocked viewers. Gibson had never had cancer, and her entire story was untrue. Reputations fell, money was lost by companies that had invested in her and numerous stories were shared in the news. No one could believe that they’d been duped by this young, wholesome, pretty woman.
The tragedy of this story is not the financial or reputational costs, it’s the human cost. Millions of followers had complete faith in her and followed her story and advice. They were devastated and felt a communal loss of faith in themselves and loss of hope, which is almost the worst loss of all.
There is no way to know how many of her followers may have become more ill or even died due to her influence.
Gibson was put on trial, but the penalty of half a million dollars has yet to be paid all these years later. Gibson lives in seclusion, for now.
Reading the book or watching the miniseries may give you a peek into a world unknown that thrives on hope, fear and unethical people. It is also a primer on poorly invested hope and how quickly we can succumb to the promise of a miracle.
The internet is a wondrous thing that can open endless doors of education and discovery. It can also be a pandora’s chest filled with untruths that have the power to destroy lives.
Finally, a confession to my dear reader. While I try to fill myself with facts and look at life with a more realistic eye, I do still hope for miracles, count on the goodness of people, pray and may even kiss a frog.
Diana Ingram can be reached at DingramThurston21@gmail.com
