By Charlene Gatt
THIS year Isabelle Henry wants the gift of time.
Having overcome a battle with uterine and ovarian cancer in 2009, the Ascot Vale resident now volunteers with The Gawler Foundation, the organisation she credits with pulling her through.
The Gawler Foundation provides a range of programs for cancer sufferers that embrace an integrated approach to health, healing and wellbeing.
Ms Henry did a 12-week program in Footscray while she was undergoing chemotherapy, which guided her and about 20 other cancer sufferers on nutrition, medication and lifestyle choices to help overcome cancer and other illnesses.
“That sort of moral support coming from people in a similar situation to myself was very, very valuable,” she said.
“We all rolled up on the first day and we were asked to tell everyone a little bit about ourselves and every single person cried. It was very emotional.
“It’s good to talk about your situation and hear other people’s stories in a very safe environment.
“Sometimes, when people are talking in a family situation, everyone’s emotionally involved and it can be hard, so if you take yourself out of that situation it can be very helpful.
“One of the things the program did is to help you really deal with your fears because there’s a lot of fear around it and it teaches you about living by confronting death.”
More than a year on, Ms Henry’s scans are all clear and she is celebrating life.
“This year I want the gift of time, to live my life, to enjoy my friends, to walk through nature,” she said.
“I want to do something useful with the time I have. Now I say yes to everything.”
To find out more about The Gawler Foundation, go to www.gawler.org.
Home Footscray Star Celebrating life- Loving life … Isabelle Henry was diagnosed with cancer last...
