True Beating Heart...

In the coming week or two, Australian's will have the very real privilege of watching a special program simply named "Every Heart Beats True..." Now of course, if you are an AFL follower, you will immediately recognise that title, for it is a prominent line in the clubsong of the Melbourne Football Club, the lyric stating in full "every heart beats true for the red and the blue..." But the television expose is not really a story focused on the Melbourne Demons, but rather one of that club's favourite sons, Jim Stynes. More specifically, Jim's recent battle with cancer.

Jim Stynes is one of the real success stories of Australian football. Born and raised in Ireland, he came to Australia as part of an innovative project to recruit Gaelic footballers in Ireland to play Australian football. Few had made the transition successfully but Stynes was a standout - he won Australian Football's greatest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal in 1991 and still holds the all-time record for most consecutive games played without missing a game through injury - 244 games. The awful irony of course is that this iron-man of an athlete who was so indestructible on the field has been so ravaged by disease off the field. But that hasn't stopped the will and determination of Jim Stynes, as the TV story will no doubt highlight.

Much more could be said of Jim Stynes and his remarkable life. One could wax lyrical regarding his charitable concerns, working tirelessly with youth through his Reach charity. But this white man wants to highlight one wonderful quality in Jim Stynes that has come through, not only through the example of his life in general terms but also through this specific amazing revelation. On radio this morning, Jim Stynes revealed that as a part of his regular treatment regime for cancer, he drinks his own urine! He went on to describe how his treatment encompasses "white coat" conventional medication mixed in with alternate therapies and treatments. He also mentioned the fact that he regularly administers coffee enemas to flush out toxins from his body. Now this white man has little idea of the whys, hows and whereforalls of alternate means of medication and treatments for major sicknesses, let alone terminal illnesses. The Vietnamese reliance on regularly applying green oil on their skin for treating everything from muscle aches to the flu is one thing. But drinking one's own urine is something else altogether. So I don't know with any authority if that, as a treatment is effective or not. But that's not the point as far as I'm concerned.

The quality that impresses me most about Jim Stynes is the freedom he has to disclose that he regularly partakes in such a radical treatment. All of us would most likely accept that, when facing such a demon as cancer you would be willing to do just about anything in the hope of extending the quality of your life or even beating the disease. And we may well even be willing enough to go to the lengths of drinking our own urine if we believed that it could help.

But would we ever admit it to the world?

Stynes had this to say specifically on the issue of his cancer and his treatment regime - "I've always tried to be honest. Integrity is the essence of everything. We're never going to be perfect, it's the endeavour that's important," he said. "Why should I be afraid of people seeing who I really am? You've got to walk the talk otherwise you're full of it."

That says to this white man that Jim Stynes is a man very comfortable in his own skin. The self-assurance and integrity of this man is an example to us all. Stynes also had this to say - "When faced with death, the ego just drops its barriers." Self-assured, full of integrity yet humble as well. Who could have known that the man, once a demon could offer such an amazing and inspirational example of personal character.

Jim Stynes, this white man respects you immensely and whatever the outcome of your battle with cancer, you are already a winner because you have left such a positive imprint on people's lives. May God continue to make His face shine upon you Irishman!