A staff writer for Woman's Day since 2003, Glen Williams shares his most moving and memorable stories from out on the field.
Sophie Delezio and Molly Wood
— May 3, 2004
Woman's Day had a world exclusive first interview with both the families of dear Sophie Delezio and lovely little Molly Wood, who were badly injured when a car crashed into their day care centre on Sydney's North Shore in 2003.
I bawled when I left those little girls and their families. I was so moved by their stories and just the humility of the families and how much love they had for their daughters.
The parents had to put their whole lives on hold and live at the hospital during the most horrific agony those kids were going through and not knowing from day to day if they were going to have their little girls back.
We've got the gift of hindsight now and we think how amazing their survival story is but it didn't look good there for a long time.
My heart went out to Sophie's brother Mitchell too — it wasn't intentional but he had to sit back and take second place and he lost his parents there for a long time because they had to be at the hospital. The parents worked so hard at making sure he was included and they still do to this day, whenever Sophie is doing something then Mitchell is included because he has been so important to her healing, he's a brave little boy.
'I cured my daughter's brain damage'
— November 13, 2006
This was a bizarre story of a woman who cured her daughter of brain damage. Quirky Adelaide mum Ralda James' daughter Abbie suffered brain damage after being ill with measles.
Ralda was told Abbie would always stay the mental age of four and this mother decided no she's not! She's not a scientist or a doctor, but she says whatever she puts her mind to she can do and so she started researching how to restore myelin which is what had been damaged in Abbie's brain.
She started researching at the local library and then she started mixing stuff that she found in the supermarket to make her daughter well. She took Abbie off all cola drinks. Ralda literally did find a cure because we've got scans to show that her daughter's brain did improve. But she was basically silenced by the big medical companies who stepped in and wanted to find out what the ingredients were.
The sad thing is that now it looks like her research is going to be taken out of the country by these big medical companies. She's having a battle to keep it as hers and to keep her findings in Australia.
Ralda basically only did it to help her daughter and didn't want big companies muscling in. Abbie is about 12 now and doing well. Ralda says this is my gift for my little girl but it may help people all around the world.
This story was one of the most well received stories we've ever had at
Woman's Day. We still get letters today about it and it was about three years ago now. People are begging us to give away her secrets because they want to help their own kids. But she has basically been silenced.
'Hypnotherapy cured my brain tumour'
— Feb 26, 2007
Queenslander Carol Mitchell was left totally devastated when she was told she had an inoperable brain tumour and they said no amount of chemotherapy or radiation would save her.
She was told to get ready to die. She is the mother of two kids. Then a friend of hers told her about this clinical hypnotherapist called Christine Poller and even after one session Carol started to feel better.
Christine would take Carol into her own brain and tell her to look at the tumour and tell it to shrink and that it was no longer malignant. It was only after three or four sessions when Carol went back to her doctor and was told the tumour had shrunk and when she had the surgery to remove it the doctors found it was now a benign tumour!
I went and met with Carol and the hypnotherapist. I thought I was someone who could never be hypnotised but Christine took me aside and within a minute I was under. It was the most relaxing and amazing feeling. So I reckon if ever I get something serious I'll be heading her way.
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