Claire Guest was walking her dogs when Daisy, a fox red Labrador, nudged
her breast insistently and stared up into her face with her big brown
eyes. Sensing something was wrong, Claire visited her GP and soon found
out she had a very deep – and difficult to diagnose – form of breast
cancer. Daisy had saved her life, simply by smelling her cancer.
With
her scientific background and deep love of dogs, Claire intuited that
Daisy and her canine pals could save many more lives, and set up the
charity Medical Detection Dogs. Though faced with many challenges,
Claire and her dogs have proven to be a remarkable asset to cancer
detection, and have changed the lives of many seriously ill people and
their families.
I read Daisy's Gift as part of the Nonfiction Reading Challenge. I was drawn to this book because of my love of dogs, and I was intrigued by the idea of dogs being used to detect and help in the diagnosis of cancer.
Daisy's Gift is a fascinating read. I found Claire's enthusiasm for her work to be very inspiring. Claire has always had an affinity with all animals, but her passion for dogs and their unique abilities has influenced the trajectory of her life and career. Claire is one of those people who certainly have a destiny here on Earth; as she tells her story in Daisy's Gift, it is obvious Claire's life has brought her exactly where she needs to be - helping change the world with her charity Medical Detection Dogs.
It was no surprise to me to read that dogs have the ability to tune into their owners - I've witnessed in my own dog her special way of reading my emotions. But taking this idea a step further, Claire and her team are able to harness a dog's strong sense of smell - every disease has an odour - to train the dog to alert their owner to physiological changes. Claire not only trains dogs to detect cancer, but she also trains medical assistance dogs to live with those suffering from diabetes and other diseases. This work has allowed many people to live relatively normal lives, knowing that their constant dog companion is on guard at all times to help them manage their disease.
I admire Claire Guest. She has dedicated her life to helping develop the pioneering work of bio detection dogs. Her passion for her work is evident on every page of Daisy's Gift. It is clear Claire believes strongly in dogs and their abilities. Reading Claire's book has made me fall in love with dogs even more. They really are phenomenal animals, with a lot to teach us. With Claire and others like her working worldwide to train these dogs to use their innate capabilities, the human race is able to benefit even further from our close relationship to dogs. Not only is a dog a pet and companion, they can also save your life.
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Monday, 5 September 2016
Book Review: The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless
The story of Chris McCandless, who gave away his savings, hitchhiked
to Alaska, walked into the wilderness alone, and starved to death in
1992, fascinated not just New York Times bestselling author Jon
Krakauer, but the rest of the nation too. Krakauer’s book and a Sean
Penn film skyrocketed Chris McCandless to worldwide fame, but the real
story of his life and his journey has not yet been told – until now.
Carine McCandless, Chris’s sister, featured in both the book and film, was the person with whom he had the closest bond, and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Growing up in the same troubled and volatile household that sent Chris on his fatal journey into the wild, Carine finally reveals the broader and deeper reality about life in the McCandless family.
I read The Wild Truth as part of the Nonfiction Reading Challenge.
I've always been drawn to the story of Chris McCandless. I admit to feeling conflicted about what he did - going into the wild without a map is such an idiotic and naive thing to do, but at the same time I can understand his sense of adventure and the desire to challenge himself. I've always felt annoyed by his story though - his death was so avoidable (if only he had a map!! He could have found another way out!) and unnecessary. And yet, because he died as he did, his life has become much larger than it may ever have had he survived the Alaskan wilderness. Chris has become an icon, a legend in his own right. Most people know his story and whether or not they agree or disagree with his actions, he has become a symbol of the wanderer spirit, the human desire to experience life to the full, to be present, away from the noise of modern society.
His sister Carine's book The Wild Truth is hard to read because you can feel her grief in every page. Yes she has, after more than twenty years, found peace with her brother's death, but it's also very obvious that he continues to be a presence in her life and her thoughts. I find Carine to be very courageous. To tell her story, to tell the absolute truth, the dirty truth, of her relationship with her parents - the violence, the manipulation, the emotional abuse - is so brave. I don't believe she owes them any protection. Her story is hers to tell. They have done some despicable things to her and all her siblings over the years - it's no wonder Chris 'divorced' himself from them. I don't blame him! So in my opinion, Carine is right to tell the story, to bring the truth to light. Truth was Chris's guiding force and I understand Carine's intention to honour him by revealing the real story of their childhood. She can't speak for Chris (nor does she want to), but this book is her way of explaining his actions, as much as anyone beside Chris ever can.
It's heartbreaking reading more of the McCandless story. Carine has had an often depressing life, aside from her brother's death. But it's obvious in her book that Carine strives to overcome hardships and to maintain her determination to succeed as a kind human being. If anything, Carine's kindness held her back for too long - if only she'd disconnected herself from her parents years ago, perhaps she'd have saved herself some heartache. But her longing to hear an apology from them, to see their behaviour change, to have them accept responsibility for the fractures in their family, kept her going back for more.
The Wild Truth is very well-written. Although it says it's the truth about what sent Chris into the wild, I found this book to be Carine's story. Chris is there of course, but Carine's intention to not speak for her late brother means that he is only a supporting character in her memoir. I feel Carine wrote this book as a cathartic way to release the guilt for holding back the truth when Jon Krakauer wrote Into The Wild. Carine says the way people misunderstood Chris has always been on her mind. She wanted to set the record straight, and I believe she has done so.
Carine McCandless, Chris’s sister, featured in both the book and film, was the person with whom he had the closest bond, and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Growing up in the same troubled and volatile household that sent Chris on his fatal journey into the wild, Carine finally reveals the broader and deeper reality about life in the McCandless family.
I read The Wild Truth as part of the Nonfiction Reading Challenge.
I've always been drawn to the story of Chris McCandless. I admit to feeling conflicted about what he did - going into the wild without a map is such an idiotic and naive thing to do, but at the same time I can understand his sense of adventure and the desire to challenge himself. I've always felt annoyed by his story though - his death was so avoidable (if only he had a map!! He could have found another way out!) and unnecessary. And yet, because he died as he did, his life has become much larger than it may ever have had he survived the Alaskan wilderness. Chris has become an icon, a legend in his own right. Most people know his story and whether or not they agree or disagree with his actions, he has become a symbol of the wanderer spirit, the human desire to experience life to the full, to be present, away from the noise of modern society.
His sister Carine's book The Wild Truth is hard to read because you can feel her grief in every page. Yes she has, after more than twenty years, found peace with her brother's death, but it's also very obvious that he continues to be a presence in her life and her thoughts. I find Carine to be very courageous. To tell her story, to tell the absolute truth, the dirty truth, of her relationship with her parents - the violence, the manipulation, the emotional abuse - is so brave. I don't believe she owes them any protection. Her story is hers to tell. They have done some despicable things to her and all her siblings over the years - it's no wonder Chris 'divorced' himself from them. I don't blame him! So in my opinion, Carine is right to tell the story, to bring the truth to light. Truth was Chris's guiding force and I understand Carine's intention to honour him by revealing the real story of their childhood. She can't speak for Chris (nor does she want to), but this book is her way of explaining his actions, as much as anyone beside Chris ever can.
It's heartbreaking reading more of the McCandless story. Carine has had an often depressing life, aside from her brother's death. But it's obvious in her book that Carine strives to overcome hardships and to maintain her determination to succeed as a kind human being. If anything, Carine's kindness held her back for too long - if only she'd disconnected herself from her parents years ago, perhaps she'd have saved herself some heartache. But her longing to hear an apology from them, to see their behaviour change, to have them accept responsibility for the fractures in their family, kept her going back for more.
The Wild Truth is very well-written. Although it says it's the truth about what sent Chris into the wild, I found this book to be Carine's story. Chris is there of course, but Carine's intention to not speak for her late brother means that he is only a supporting character in her memoir. I feel Carine wrote this book as a cathartic way to release the guilt for holding back the truth when Jon Krakauer wrote Into The Wild. Carine says the way people misunderstood Chris has always been on her mind. She wanted to set the record straight, and I believe she has done so.
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