In which Gary makes an extraordinary claim, is given a verbal warning by Brent and Harrow Trading Standards and comes up with an equally extraordinary get-out clause.
By Julia
We at BadPsychics and UK-Skeptics were so taken aback by the discovery that Gary was advertising his services as a "psychic surgeon" (without actually performing the removal-of-fake-tumours malarkey associated with that loathesome type of fraud) it took us some time to notice this mind-boggling testimonial on two of his sites, www.garymannion.com and www.abehealing.org:
Quote:
"Rodger Andrews: Aged 61, Littlehampton
Rodger came to see me because he suffered with Liver Cancer and was told he had 3 years left to live if he had Chemo and radiotherapy. However he was told that he would not recover from this cancer. 2 days after seeing me he went for a scan at his hospital to find the cancer had disappeared. The hospital being shocked sent him for repeat scans and other tests again to find the cancer had gone. They have no explanation for this. To this day the cancer is still nowhere to be seen. He is happy to recommend me to anyone."
Gary never misses an opportunity to say that he does NOT guarantee cures and does NOT claim to cure cancer. But put yourself in the position of a terminally ill cancer patient desperate enough to try anything as a last resort. Which would you want to believe? Doesn't this testimonial have the words "Yes, I can save you from certain death but the law doesn't allow me to say so openly" written between the lines?
Like other miracle-mongers Gary seems to be incapable of grasping that fact that testimonials are of absolutely no value as evidence. Without information from the doctors who saw Gary's patients before and after his supposedly successful healing they are no more than anecdotes.
We are asked to believe that a man terminally ill with liver cancer was treated by Gary, went for a scan two days later and was found to be completely free of the disease. No wonder the hospital was "shocked" and had "no explanation". But which hospital? Which doctors? If Gary isn't claiming to have cured terminal cancer why does he use this testimonial at all? Mr Andrews may well be happy to recommend Gary to anyone, but if Gary isn't 100% convinced that his amazing skills -
and nothing else - saved Mr Andrews' life he shouldn't be taking advantage of his patient's gratitude.
I was appalled by the wording of Mr Andrews' testimonial, which I was sure violated the Cancer Act or came very close to doing so. I brought it to the attention of Brent and Harrow Trading Standards, who were sufficiently concerned to give Gary a verbal warning. Not one to give up easily, Gary made a few changes to the testimonial:
Quote:
"Rodger Andrews: Aged 61, Littlehampton
Rodger came to see me because he suffered with Liver Cancer and was told he had 3 years left to live if he had Chemo and radiotherapy. However he was told that he would not recover from this cancer. Due to the law regarding cancer I have removed the text that was here and reiterate I do not claim to cure cancer. What I can say is Rodger is currently well, still with us and happy to recommend me to anyone."
Unfortunately a new disclaimer also appeared at the top of the "Testimonials" page:
Quote:
"All testimonials featured are of the opinion of the person that wrote them: Gary Mannion takes no responsibility for anything stated and would like to make it clear for legal reasons that he does not claim to have healed or cured anyone. Even if no medical explanation can be given for a persons recovery."
"The person that wrote them"? Mr Andrews' testimonial, like a number of others on Gary's sites, is in fact written by Gary himself or one of his associates. Mr Andrews' own words aren't even quoted. Is Gary saying that he isn't responsible for anything he says? It certainly seems so, bearing in mind the amazing get-out clause he used on the "spiritlove" forum:
Quote:
"Anything mentioned by me is MY OPINION. I do not medically claim anything and do not state that what I say is correct."
Followers of the Gary Mannion Saga will no doubt agree that much of what he says is NOT correct, but this statement is breath-taking in its total abdication of personal responsibility.
As for that final, faintly defiant "Even if no medical explanation can be given for a patients recovery" - translated from Mannionese into plain English it means: "Don't be fooled by the "legal reasons" bit, if the doctors can't explain someone's recovery it must mean that I was responsible for it. And if you've found your way to my website I know who you're most likely to believe..."
