the amazing terry jaillet

The late Terry Jaillet, from New Brunswick, has been called “one of the strongest men you could ever meet”. And that’s why I showcased him in my new book, “Pushing The Boundaries! How To Get More Out Of Life”. Here you will find profiles of 32 people from around the world – many of them well known – who feel restrictive rules are made for others and who are propelled to go where the faint of heart simply never venture.
            When, I began researching the book, I knew I'd meet some fascinating people. But it never dawned on me one of them might well reflect the phrase "living on borrowed time".
            You see, Terry fought a ten-year battle with cancer. It eventually consumed him. But it was an honour to know him and learn from him. Terry’s determination to find the next cure and to never throw in the towel was inspirational as he researched medical treatments in his native province and in Toronto, Montreal and even Los Angeles. Despite the treatments for the invasive cancers he had, Terry was always up, groomed and polished.
            “I've always been a person who looked beyond the common answer or the status quo,” Terry told me. “Pushing the boundaries for me means taking ownership of what I do. And I want to make things better. That's just the way I am."
            I asked him to define in a deeper way what pushing the boundaries actually meant to him as we sat in his tranquil living room featuring a "Live. Love. Laugh." pillow on the leather couch. "It's wanting to find out more,” he explained. “It's needing to take a step in the search for knowledge, to find answers, to discover what options you have."
            And if anyone needed options, it was Terry Jaillet. Doctors had told him he was, essentially, a dead man.
            "Pushing boundaries for me is about not taking a doctor's opinion or treatment as the final answer," he stated emphatically. "I respect them, let me be clear about that. But I need to find out all the options, the treatments, the medicines that may be available. It's taking my healthcare into my own hands and not just following the status quo direction. That's just letting someone make all the decisions for you regarding your health and disease treatment. If you're well, that may be fine, but..."
            Terry's voice trailed off as his mind detoured back to 2009 when he was first diagnosed with Stage 2 Melanoma. At age 41, this was not the trajectory he'd planned for his life.
             “You know, I feel I am a leader in what I've done the last several years,” he told me. “My own doctors in Moncton have asked me to talk to other patients. Docs in other cities have asked me for photocopies of information I received from various specialists. Another has referred me to speak to a pharma company. I've been asked to participate in the first Cancer Summit in Canada. And when I talk to people about my journey, they can never believe what I've done to fight my disease by going outside the box, discovering all the best options. I do want to share what I've learned along the way. I think it can help other people push aside some of their own boundaries."
            And here’s why that’s important. With the world facing heightened levels of stress and anxiety from the pandemic, people are seeking greater fulfillment. “Pushing The Boundaries!” solves this by offering practical, positive guidance aimed at improving opportunities for growth. My job is to take you behind the scenes, putting you right there across the living room, office desk or kitchen table from the people I meet, part of an up-close, personal encounter. In this way, my followers can learn specifically how to develop the fearlessness that makes for constructive change in their lives. And, maybe as important, a sense of how the human spirit conquers adversity that readers can relate to because I've taken them there.”
            Terry Jaillet was an inspiration, and there is plenty more to discover about him in “Pushing The Boundaries!”. Just visit pushingtheboundaries.life.

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