About Us
Gilly’s Gift was established as a charity in November 2009 in recognition of Gillian (Gilly) Gill’s recovery from cancer by way of an integrated approach.
In October 2000, Gilly was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer and the prognosis was bleak. As all that conventional medicine could offer was a limited increase in life expectation with a dramatic decrease in quality of life, Gilly decided to take a holistic approach. While her progress was monitored by an oncologist, she undertook a program of diet, complementary therapies and self-help techniques under the supervision of an experienced integrated medicine doctor.
Today, Gilly is well and enjoying a full life, with her tumour markers in the normal range.
Gilly was fortunate in having the financial means to take this route to recovery, as most of the therapies that she took were not available on the NHS nor covered by medical insurance. In addition, she was able to access one of the few experienced integrated medicine doctors in the country.
The mission of Gilly’s Gift is to widen access to integrated medicine for the whole community in the United Kingdom. We would like to support the next generation of medical professionals who will be the pathfinders to a new system of healthcare, where health and well-being come first.
The charity will provide funding to take up training opportunities. These could be in the form of courses, visits or electives at institutions practising integrated medicine, both in the UK and overseas. This aims to give medical professionals exposure to practices and their outcomes which they would not otherwise experience, with the potential to influence their careers and the careers of those around them.
Gilly’s Gift also provides funding to several clinics to enable cancer patients with limited financial means to access integrated medicine.
The charity’s aim is that, as integrated medicine is increasingly practised and the benefits both financial and to the patient become clear, the pressure on the UK medical establishment to recognise integrated medicine will grow and drive wholesale change.