September, 2008

I have been away overseas while a drama has unfolded in Australia about Michael Guglielmucci… writer of the song ‘Healer’, which has blessed and encouraged so many people.

Michael has confessed to making up the story that he was diagnosed with a rare form of terminal blood cancer and multiple secondary cancers. This is easily the biggest and most elaborate hoax I have ever personally witnessed. I still am perplexed by it. I have never felt any reason to question the validity of Michael’s story. I guess you don’t greet such horrific news as cancer with cynicism, and it’s a sad day when we have to do that.

I have known Michael’s parents since we were young people ourselves and they are great and genuine people. When Danny called me in 2006 to tell me of his sons illness I felt absolutely lost for words as he sobbed on the telephone. This family did not deserve such utter pain.

I just didn’t have any reason to doubt his story. There were one or two things that were hard to work out such as how anyone could function with multiple broken bones (I was in agony with one broken elbow, but I just thought I must have been a wimp). I saw Michael as an unbelievably gutsy and courageous man who was refusing to just lie down and accept his diagnosis.