Turning Points: Dec 05 - Sharon Aaron

Whether it is discovering your child has a serious illness or starting your own business, it only takes one moment to change your life.

Sharon Aaron, 37, had her life change in an instant when her daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer three years ago.

“The whole world shuts down when you are told your child has a life-threatening disease. Everything shifts: you realise the truth in the phrase ‘your life can change in an instant’. Suddenly, meetings, deadlines, the mortgage, money, success, the car you drive, how good you look... nothing is important any more. Life slows down. All your expectations are reduced. Life becomes terribly, terribly simple. The only thing you care about is your child.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is humility. I’ve learned to wake up every day and be grateful for what I’ve got. Before my daughter was diagnosed, I had everything – theoretically – I needed to be happy.

But now after her illness I’m happier than I’ve ever been. If I pick her up from school and she’s had a good day, and she’s got a smile on her face, then I’m happy. When she was diagnosed, in a sense I was given a gift… the gift was recognising what’s really important.

I think I’m a much more compassionate person now. I realise that everyone has their hardships, and I want to go out of my way to help people.

“It’s taken me almost three years to feel passionate about something other than my child’s health. The feeling of concern never goes away, but my ability to focus on something else has slowly returned. One of the most therapeutic things I did was become involved with The Cure For Life Foundation established by Dr Charles Teo, who performed life-saving surgery on our daughter. I got involved initially because I needed to be with others who had been through what we’d been through.

“I believe rehabilitation for children with brain cancer needs to focus on both the physical and the emotional. When my daughter became sick, I was determined that I would get the best care for my child. After her surgery [two six-hour operations in 2003], she needed rehabilitation in order to relearn how to catch a ball, how to hold a pencil, how to walk in a straight line… lots of things that other children take for granted. She also did what they call ‘journey work’ so that she could articulate her feelings. Both courses of treatment significantly helped her to recover.

“My advice to mothers who notice a change in their child’s behaviour is don’t ignore it. Trust your instincts; keep questioning until you get the right answers. You know your child better than anyone. So if your child is not his or her usual happy self, pay attention. Early intervention is so important if you want the best outcome. So what if you have tunnel vision? I’m so clear these days about my priorities. It’s simple: my husband and my children come first.”

Gone WWOOFing
WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) began in 1971 in England. Originally it was known as Working Weekends on Organic Farms, but became so popular it outgrew its two-day definition.

Participants work four to six hours a day on nominated properties (there are 16 independent WWOOF organisations globally), for food and board. Most stays are from a few days up to six months, depending on the host’s needs.

WWOOFing began in Australia in 1981 and now offers placements in more than 1,500 host farms (varying from small permaculture farms to commercial producers) that can teach participants aspects of organic farming, bio-dynamics and permaculture. The average day’s work is considered to be four to six hours.

WWOOF Australia also channels funds back into other host projects to help them pursue conservation projects and reafforestation.You can get details of all the Australian host properties by becoming a member, simply by purchasing the WWOOF Australia Book ($50 for one person, and $60 for two), which details all the properties in Australia. Visit www.wwoof.com.au for more information.

 

Words: Melisande Clarke and Josephine Brouard. Photography: Andrew Lehmann. Styling: Nicholas Sholl.