In loving memory of her mother, Lisa McCarthy has organised an event to help people understand what they need to do to give themselves the best chance of thriving after a cancer diagnosis.
On Tuesday, October 15, at 7pm – the anniversary of her mother’s passing – McCarthy will be hosting a free live webinar to support cancer patients, their caregivers, and health practitioners.
The webinar will have four speakers, Justine Laidlaw, Kaytee Boyd, Susan Brown, and Dr. Anna Goodwin, who will focus on empowering and integrative approaches to cancer care.
The speakers are all experts in their respective fields, offering insights on topics like radical remission, advanced diagnostics, personalised treatment approaches, and reclaiming personal power in cancer care.
This webinar aims to raise awareness about a holistic approach to cancer, and serve as a personal tribute to her mother’s legacy and a way to offer support to others on this difficult journey.
McCarthy said she was looking at the statistics around cancer. “My mum passed away in 1978. In 1980, there was a one in 10 chance that somebody would get cancer in their lifetime. Today, it’s closer to a 50 per cent chance.
McCarthy’s story
McCarthy’s mother, Joan Gazzard, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was six, and passed away when she was 10.
Lisa McCarthy. Photo supplied.
“I am now a similar age to what my mother was when she passed away from cancer. It’s really only in the last year that I’ve realised that it’s left a really, really big hole that I’ve never really healed from.”
It was then that she decided she wanted to use her experience to make a difference and try to do something that may prevent other kids from losing their parents so young.
After chemotherapy and radiation, McCarthy’s mum received treatment from Dr Brych in Rarotonga. Dr Brych had been expelled from practicing medicine in Australia, then New Zealand as he couldn’t prove he was a qualified medical doctor.
“Many of his patients from Australia and New Zealand flew to and stayed in the Cook Islands for six months worth of treatment.”
When McCarthy’s mum was diagnosed with cancer the family moved from their farm life in Heddon Bush, Southland to Winton.
When it became obvious that the radiation and chemotherapy hadn’t worked, they relocated to Rarotonga for six months treatment as a last-ditch effort.
“When Mum went over there, she’d been given three weeks to live and she wasn’t able to walk.”
“After the very first treatment, she ran down the stairs and leaped into my father’s arms.”
McCarthy said some may have called Dr Brych a quack, “but when you look at your mother and you see that kind of transformation, I didn’t care what others thought of him.”
While her mum was getting treatment, her father was writing a book. “He was going around all of the cancer patients that were there and getting their stories, and then going home each night and using his two fingers to type it all up on his old typewriter.
“I was there as a eight-year-old – nine-year-old listening to all of these cancer patients that were sharing their stories.
“It was a huge part of my life at the time, I was totally immersed in it. Everyone that you’re seeing is sick or dying.
“There must have been like 30-40 cancer patients in there. Everybody’s familiar with everyone’s story.”
She said there would be a rotation where patients would go in for a week of treatment and then you’d be out for three weeks.
“You’d go back and get the update on who’s passed since you were last there.”
McCarthy had been taken out of school and was being homeschooled by her parents while she was in Rarotonga.
“I had a dear friend who was the same age as me, Damien, who was in the hospital at the same time with Leukemia.
“There’s not too many kids in that environment so you gravitate to anybody that’s kind of a similar age.
“When I went to the hospital to visit mum, I’d spend maybe 30 per cent of my time with mum and 70 per cent of the time with Damien. Kids being kids. But we only ever hung out at the hospital.”
One day, McCarthy said she went running up to Damien’s bed to see him, but his bed was empty. That is when she was told Damien didn’t make it.
When asked how hard this was for her, especially at such a young age, she said, “Yeah, but at the same time you’re dealing with your mum being sick as well. It’s all consuming.”
McCarthy said when her mum was diagnosed her parents tried to hide it from her and her siblings for quite some time.
“We were living on a farm in Southland and we made a rapid shift off the farm and I found out later that’s because they couldn’t manage a farm and her illness at the same time.
“It was maybe 18 months later, mum was going in and out of chemotherapy and radiation . I was just being a curious youngster going, what’s up with mum? She’s losing her hair. What’s going on?”
It was then when she was told, “Your mum’s getting very sick. She’s getting treatment, she’s losing her hair, she still loves you. She can’t be with you to do the same things that she used to do. And she’s doing her best to get healthy again.”
The family lived in Rarotonga for six months. “When we came back [to New Zealand] Mum was told there was no sign of cancer in her body, but suffered a relapse 10 months later and passed away shortly after.
“I was 10 years old, and I was adopted so that was kind of like number two mum gone.”
The flow on affect
“After my mum passed away, the family disintegrated. It just became entirely dysfunctional.”
McCarthy’s parents, Jack and Joan Gazzard, had three biological children. When those children became young adults and left home, McCarthy’s parents adopted four more children as they felt they had more love to give.
The adopted children included twins that were seven years older than her, and McCarthy with her biological older sister.
McCarthy was the youngest and by the time her mum had passed it was just her sister and herself living at home.
“I often wonder what my life would have been like if my mum hadn’t died.
“The family just seemed to disintegrate after that.
“I don’t remember everything clearly as a child, but I do remember Dad breaking down one day and saying, “I can’t do it anymore”.
“He sent us off to boarding school. Mum was the glue that held us together, and Dad was obviously struggling with his mental health after that.”
“I only lasted six weeks at boarding school. The only person that I wanted to be with was my dad.”
McCarthy said she felt like she had lost both her mum and her dad, “That’s what it felt like to me”.
“After I was sent home from boarding school, I was cooking the meals, cleaning house and doing the gardening.
“I was essentially the woman of the house as it was just Dad and I. It was good to be with Dad but in many ways, I feel I lost my childhood.”
She said the loss of her mum still affects her, especially when she had children. She said she knew her mum would have been an amazing grandmother.
“I look at other families now and I think, my God, you’re so lucky.”
McCarthy’s story is her motivation to help others to avoid going through what she went through.
“It’s healing for me to do this. We know so much more about cancer now than we did back then, and I’m keen to share it. It feels like somehow, I’m honouring mum and clearing a wound.
Meet the speakers
“I’ve been lucky enough to connect with many remarkable health practitioners since moving to the Bay of Plenty, and I’ve selected four of them for this webinar who have collectively helped thousands of people on their cancer journey.
“The webinar is focusing on those four people and each of them are coming from a very different angle.
“They’ve got 15 minutes each to share some of their knowledge and experience. Two of them are also cancer sur-thrivers.”
Justine Laidlaw. Photo supplied.
Justine Laidlaw is an 11-year colon cancer thriver and holistic cancer coach who chose to heal naturally, without conventional treatments.
Laidlaw will be aiming to inspire others to embrace hope and vitality by focusing on the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. She’ll also be sharing Dr Kelly Turner’s 10 Keys To Radical Remission.
Kaytee Boyd. Photo supplied.
Kaytee Boyd is a natural health expert, metabolic cancer car specialist and a former professional athlete.
Boyd will be speaking on advanced diagnostic techniques, nutrition, and how to reduce side effects of traditional treatments.
Susie Brown. Photo supplied.
Susie Brown is a mental health coach and trustee for Aratika Cancer Trust. As an Aratika Cancer Trust Trustee and with her own cancer experience, Susie has a strong interest in functional medicine.
Brown will speak on anxiety biohacks and integrating physical and mental well-being.
Anna Goodwin. Photo supplied.
Dr Anna Goodwin is a retired oncologist wit 30 years of experience and will be speaking up for health freedom.
She will discuss reclaiming your power by ending the duality of treatment and staying focused on life rather than disease.
Lisa McCarthy said there has been over 310 registrations so far, including people who will be joining the call from Australia and the USA.
To learn more and register to attend this free webinar visit www.risingvibration.com/pages/integrative-journey-through-cancer.