"Wellness Warrior" natural healing advocate Jess Ainscough has died from cancer at 30

[Ada Lovelace]

Jessica Ainscough, a self-described "wellness warrior" who attempted to stave off a rare form of cancer with natural healing, has died at age 30.

Ms Ainscough's blogs had a large following on social media, and posts to her website drew praise from sufferers of many forms of illness as well as criticism from those who did not agree with her alternative remedies.

Ms Ainscough was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma in 2008, and the cancer spread through her left arm, which she later refused to have amputated.

Chemotherapy worked initially, but when that failed, Ms Ainscough turned to Gerson Therapy, which claims to promote the body's own healing abilities, and began to report on her progress online.

She left her high-flying job as online editor for Dolly magazine and moved back to her home town of the Sunshine Coast.

Despite Cancer Council advice that Gerson Therapy was not proven to work, Ms Ainscough persisted, embarking on an alcohol-free vegan diet, drinking raw juices, taking vitamin supplements and undergoing coffee enemas daily.

She made videos explaining how to administer enemas and posted them on YouTube, although that video is now marked private.

When Ms Ainscough's mother, Sharyn, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she followed her daughter's lead and put her faith in Gerson Therapy.

Sharyn died in October 2014.

Full article:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/2...sica-ainscough-dies-from-rare-cancer-aged-30/

In recent weeks she has been discussed on here in threads pertaining to vaccines, immunity, and cancer.

 

[Nithavela]

I know this might sound callous, but considering all the people this woman has deceived into 'treating' their cancer this way, I feel that this is nothing but good news for humanity.

 

[Hetta]

SMH. These proponents of healing cancer with water and veggies should all be sued.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

There really is a lot of bad nutritional information out there (this whole meat=bad; vegan=good notion is rubbish), however, claiming it can cure cancer is going to a new low.

When people are advocating this kind of diet for weight loss purposes and claiming that "it's healthier and more natural", it's an annoyance. When people start claiming that it will cure cancer, it's unethical.

However, to what Hetta said...

I don't think people like that should be sued.

At the end of the day, it's a person's choice to follow this woman's "healing" ways, nobody forces that on them. If a person willingly makes a poor choice to follow her, that's not her fault.

If someone could get sued every time they give someone else bad advice, half of the people on youtube would be in jail right now.

 

[Hetta]

There are finally questions being asked when people give dubious advice. Dr. Mehmet Oz was brought to account for promoting rubbish on his tv show, and so he should be. People in positions of trust and particularly people with medical credentials should be exposed for the charlatans they are when they use their position to make millions off the naivety of others.

It's better to try to prevent the knowingly wicked from preying on the naïve than trying to make the naïve un-naïve. There are far more of the latter than the former.

 

[Nithavela]

It's not just food, either. There's the whole coffee enema thing.

 

[Hetta]

It's not just food, either. There's the whole coffee enema thing.

Ew.

Not to mention the "cleansing" craze, which any proper doctor will tell you is dangerous and ineffective. Not to mention deeply unpleasant.

 

[Inkfingers]

It's not just food, either. There's the whole coffee enema thing.

Probably the best thing that you can do with coffee, if I'm being honest.

 

[Nithavela]

There are some coffee sweets that are tollerable.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

There are finally questions being asked when people give dubious advice. Dr. Mehmet Oz was brought to account for promoting rubbish on his tv show, and so he should be. People in positions of trust and particularly people with medical credentials should be exposed for the charlatans they are when they use their position to make millions off the naivety of others.

It's better to try to prevent the knowingly wicked from preying on the naïve than trying to make the naïve un-naïve. There are far more of the latter than the former.

But how do you control who trusts you and views you as a role model?

Where does the line get drawn on who's considered to be "in a position of trust"?

...and at what point does restricting it become a violation of freedom of speech and conscience?

If a person wants to believe that veggies cure cancer, they're allowed to believe that (as silly as it may be), and they're allowed to tell others about their beliefs...what the person chooses to do with what they've been told is on them, is it not?

Being naïve is no excuse IMO.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Probably the best thing that you can do with coffee, if I'm being honest.

lol, not a coffee fan???

Back in my unhealthier days right out of college, I was hooked on the stuff...but it had to be premium coffee...none of that junk from the gas station.

I would have 2-3 cups per day. It's one of those acquired tastes...sort of like craft beer.

 

[Nithavela]

I don't think you can die from coffee drinking, but you can definetly die from coffee enemas.

 

[loveofourlord]

There really is a lot of bad nutritional information out there (this whole meat=bad; vegan=good notion is rubbish), however, claiming it can cure cancer is going to a new low.

When people are advocating this kind of diet for weight loss purposes and claiming that "it's healthier and more natural", it's an annoyance. When people start claiming that it will cure cancer, it's unethical.

However, to what Hetta said...

I don't think people like that should be sued.

At the end of the day, it's a person's choice to follow this woman's "healing" ways, nobody forces that on them. If a person willingly makes a poor choice to follow her, that's not her fault.

If someone could get sued every time they give someone else bad advice, half of the people on youtube would be in jail right now.

Sorry I have to call BS, you can be sued if your a doctor and give the wrong prescription, why is it that we can't just say, "The person was willing to listen to a doctor." I think if you give medical advice that can lead to people's deaths you should be charged, just as a doctor would, maybe more so because your not qualified to be doing so.

Saying, "The person that listened should have known better." is blaming the victim, fraud, scams are jailable offenses in the US. This should be counted as fraud, there is way too much nonsense out there in the US about whats good and isn't and many of it creeps into pharmacy's and hospitals because nothing is done. You can buy homeopathy at a pharmacy, and by being there the average person will assume it's medicine bcause they wouldn't put something there that didn't do anything would they?

Most people are under educated in alot of subjects should they be blammed for not having the right education and fall for a fraud?

 

[Ada Lovelace]

It's not just food, either. There's the whole coffee enema thing.

Gerson therapy seems appealingly wholesome because people falsely believe that all it entails is eating nourishing organic food to treat cancer instead of undergoing conventional methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. As I explained in this post to someone who made numerous claims that Jess had "beat 4 grade cancer with vege shakes"
http://www.christianforums.com/t7863421-6/#post66975598
it is a draconian diet that eliminates many essentials and is grueling to maintain. It's also exponentially more expensive than people realize. Insurance companies do not subsidize any of the cost, and countries where the national health care system pays for the majority of doctor prescribed treatments, such as Australia where Jess was a citizen, do not cover any of the costs. "Gerson Persons" are instructed to purchase expensive juicing equipment from Gerson's list of improved vendors, around $1200 worth of produce a month, and hundreds of dollars of supplements and vitamins. Everyday for a minimum of two years they are to consume about 30 pounds worth of freshly prepared juices and undergo six organic coffee enemas. They don't even get to DRINK the coffee. It's life-consuming and arduous.

Gerson claims it causes no side effects, but that is patently false. People have suffered with ailments due to nutritional deficiencies. The enemas have caused burns in tender areas, sepsis, and perforations.

Gerson is not permitted to operate its clinics in the US and many other countries (its offices are in San Diego and one of my former dance teachers actually works there). The clinics are in Mexico and Hungary, and the cost of attending them is $11,000 for a two-week stay, not including travel there or personal expenses.

 

[loveofourlord]

But how do you control who trusts you and views you as a role model?

Where does the line get drawn on who's considered to be "in a position of trust"?

...and at what point does restricting it become a violation of freedom of speech and conscience?

If a person wants to believe that veggies cure cancer, they're allowed to believe that (as silly as it may be), and they're allowed to tell others about their beliefs...what the person chooses to do with what they've been told is on them, is it not?

Being naïve is no excuse IMO.

The same places it already is, freedom of speech doesn't make you free from consequences. They are free to believe it, not free to tell others I'm sorry, your not allowd to give false medical advice.

Lets look at it this way I think you should be free to use heroine, to sell it, maybe even have others take it. But you can't sell heroine as a cure for cancer without repercussions. Yes the one that takes it is stupid, but they take it because your claiming it's efficacy, at best your scamming someone.

 

[loveofourlord]

There is many advice that people can give that actually can be more dangerous then doing nothing. many of the so called "miracle" herbs and plants actually have dangerous effects when used in relation to medicine, as they actually can have dangerous interactions of inhibit the effects of medicine. Some of the plants people take to cure cancer, actually counter the effects that chemo has destroying the bodies ability to fight cancer, in some cases more then if the person had taken nothing.

On coffee it can be dangerous as it raises your heart rate, same reason enema's are dangerous, just the enema's are going straight into the blood through absorbtion at higher rates then normal.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Sorry I have to call BS, you can be sued if your a doctor and give the wrong prescription, why is it that we can't just say, "The person was willing to listen to a doctor." I think if you give medical advice that can lead to people's deaths you should be charged, just as a doctor would, maybe more so because your not qualified to be doing so.

Was she a doctor?

A doctor is someone who's in a state licensed profession which shows they have met the educational requirements necessary to practice medicine and be in a position to give that kind of advice.

From what I can see, this young lady had a blog and social media presence...not exactly the same thing, would you agree?

As I mentioned before, if you can get sued for promoting quirky views in a social media environment, then half of the members of youtube would be in jail.

...and how far do we take it?

If a person on a bus blurts out a medical inaccuracy, and another passenger overhears it and tries it and ends up getting sick, do we sue that person on the bus?

Where do we draw the line of accountability for a "position of trust"?

 

[Hetta]

Dr. Mehmet is a renowned cardiac surgeon. For him to publicize green tea as an effective diet aid is pathetic. The man has literally held people's hearts in his hands, and instead of reminding the public that the way to maintain their health, lose weight and protect their hearts is not to smoke, to drink alcohol in moderation, to eat healthy fats in moderation, and exercise regularly. Did I forget anything? But instead, this man who has a massive presence on tv, and impressive medical qualifications, uses his power to publicize garbage, unscientific, unproven diet methods which do nothing for people. He should have had his tv show canceled, but he continues to push his nonsense on the American public. I suppose that his audience - given the fact that his fall from grace was made public - could be called stupid. I've watched the show once or twice when I was home sick and it was laughable. He has a fantastic opportunity to educate and inform people, but it's the worst kind of junk tv.

 

[loveofourlord]

Was she a doctor?

A doctor is someone who's in a state licensed profession which shows they have met the educational requirements necessary to practice medicine and be in a position to give that kind of advice.

From what I can see, this young lady had a blog and social media presence...not exactly the same thing, would you agree?

As I mentioned before, if you can get sued for promoting quirky views in a social media environment, then half of the members of youtube would be in jail.

...and how far do we take it?

If a person on a bus blurts out a medical inaccuracy, and another passenger overhears it and tries it and ends up getting sick, do we sue that person on the bus?

Where do we draw the line of accountability for a "position of trust"?

I think the line is drawn when your promoting them as facts. Shouldn't people be held to the same level as a doctor? If a doctor can't spout nonsense, whey can a none doctor? Especially when many of these people promote themselves AS doctors or as qualified or more so then doctors. I'm not talking about some idiot on a bus, I'm talking about the people that sell this kind of nosnense, doctor oz, the food babe, homeopaths, naturalpaths anyone that sells nonsense in leu of real medicine should be fined, or charged if someone takes their advice and dies.

People follow this nonsense and die, because it's not shut down, "Well if the goverment hasn't shut down these groups, must be something true to it." people think this way, many see the abssence of charges and such, as achnowledging that these things are true. The question is do you want to live in a world where many people die from easily preventable disease because people refuse to speak out against or hold people acountable when they spout lies that get people killed?

If a company or doctor killed or got as many people sick as chiropractors, and acupuncturaists they be shut down. I just think that when people put themselves in the position of being a doctor and someone to listen to as good or better then a doctor then any lives they cost they should be charged with.

 

[Inkachu]

She had the right to handle her own illness as she saw fit. But promoting the methods will clearly did NOT heal her disease to other impressionable people... not cool.