Born out of adversity...
Moativational Medicine™ was conceived in 1995 and there is some poetry in the fact that it was born on the anniversary of the death of my father, Barry Moat, who was, and still is, the inspiration behind it. An incorrectly diagnosed 'pain' turned out to be cancer of the pancreas and, at the time, was "too far gone" to be treated successfully.
Some years later, my dear friend of twenty-two years, Kevin Paton, was admitted to hospital with "incurable" leukaemia and, after numerous tests and attempts to treat his condition, was given only days to live. His family was informed and the recommendation made that his support systems be switched off so that he could "die in peace".
Since I had been a fourteen-year-old, keen-as-mustard hockey player, Kevin had become my coach, mentor and advisor during my late teens and twenties, my success in the international sporting arena being in no small part down to his dedication, commitment and belief in me and my ability.
Although too late for my father, would the application of what I had discovered about the emotional causes of illness and dis-ease be enough to help Kevin? This was my biggest test, the greatest questioning of my belief in me, and it came to surround the man who had helped me so much.
After three, twenty-minute sessions with him over four days, two weeks later he walked out of the hospital unaided and without supportive medication.
Some time later, whilst undergoing a routine medical examination in order to maintain his residency in his new home of Puerto Rico, a mis-placed needle following a wrongly interpreted test-result proved to have fatal consequences for Kevin.
And so it came to be that the two most influential men in my life had passed in similar circumstances - both, it would seem, needlessly. And yet without these 'accidents', these mis-diagnosed and mis-interpreted tests, this approach would not exist today.
They were, and still are, the 'moativation' for my quest and they continue to inspire me beyond their passing. In truth, Moativational Medicine™ is their legacy.
Today there are many outstanding professionals in the field of mind-body medicine, many of whom have, without knowing it, also had a huge influence on the formation of this model as it is today. I believe their work has paved the way for a not-so-new dawn in the evolution of our understanding of how and why illness arises and what we can personally do about remedying and preventing it.
As with all things, progress is inevitable and Moativational Medicine™ is no exception. May your experiences of this Barry-and-Kevin-inspired approach be exactly what you need them to be.
Dedicatedly yours,
Richard