It was apparent from the start that European journalist and media producer Evita Ramparte was no ordinary client. There was a certain inner glow about her, a radiant quality that struck me the first time I met her. She had hired me to take photos of her pregnancy, and I naturally assumed this glow was the warm aura of motherhood. However, during our long drive from Hollywood down to the tranquil, luxurious beaches of Malibu, I learned that Evita had a stunning secret. Over the course of that windy trip, she revealed that her pregnancy had a special meaning: she had almost lost her chance to bear children due to stage IV ovarian cancer. The doctors had wanted to perform a surgery that could have possibly left her barren for life. Unable to accept this grim prospect, Evita took her health into her own hands and embarked on a radical change in diet, lifestyle and attitude. “I cured myself naturally,” she beamed, almost outshining the sun. “Without their surgeries!” I was amazed at the coincidence of our paths crossing. As someone who knew all too well the ravages of cancer and the debilitating side effects of the drugs (I had lost both my parents to the disease by the time I was 26), I was immediately drawn to Evita and wanted to know more. In addition I had just began work on a documentary chronicling the incredible stories of people who had healed themselves naturally from debilitating illnesses without the use of surgery, drugs, radiation or chemotherapy. I knew right away that Evita would be perfect for my film.
Evita was the first to admit that before her cancer diagnosis, she had led an unhealthy lifestyle. “I had a very bad diet; I felt very weak and very sleepy. I felt as if something was chewing me inside,” she confided. “I was unhappily married; I was in a deep depression. I would wake up at nine a.m. and open my eyes with coffee and look out the window and feel like, ‘Oh God another day to live? No. Stop this train I’m getting off.’ My diet consisted of pizza, coke, ice cream. I had no awareness of a healthy lifestyle whatsoever.”
When her doctors confirmed that Evita had ovarian cancer and recommended surgery, Evita asked, “Do you know the cause of my disease?” They laughed and said, “Well, we don’t know the cause. If we knew the cause we would have a Nobel prize.” Evita countered, “Well I do not have the Nobel Prize but I think I know what caused this: a toxic diet and toxic relationships!”
Evita related that she believed the cancer was a wake-up call, catapulting her into a total self-awakening and transformation. As part of her healing path, she tackled not only her physical health, but her mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, opting for a fully holistic body-mind-heart recovery. She let go of her marriage, got a divorce, rid herself of stagnant, unsupportive friendships, and began to vigorously cleanse her body with organic fruits and vegetables. Most people were shocked that she would refuse surgery and chemotherapy when she had been diagnosed with such a grave late-stage disease, but Evita trusted her gut feeling that a rigorous regimen of juicing locally grown produce was all the ‘medicine’ she would require. Just to be safe, she decided to give herself 4 months to heal on her own, conceding that if after that time period the cancer were still present, she would consider surgery in earnest. After just a few weeks on her cleanse, however, Evita dropped 16 gallbladder stones and began shedding her excess weight. She watched in amazement as her troublesome skin problems cleared up before her eyes.
“I did not focus on the disease. I focused on strengthening the liver so that it would clean the blood and take the toxins out. I went to the farmers market, got myself organic vegetables: beets, apples, olive oil, and lemon juice. During this time I was not allowed to eat; I was supposed to be juicing and cleansing the intestines. It was the most horrible few days of my life. I was a sugar junkie without the sugar. I felt different emotions coming out of me. Fighting for my life actually awakened my beauty.”
To her delight, Evita’s next ultrasound revealed a substantial shrinkage of the tumors, something no one thought was possible. Even more remarkably, within that 4-month window that Evita set, she became completely cancer-free.
Evita continues her healing today by sharing her knowledge and experience with others. With her young son by here side, she runs popular all-body “Coconut Cleanses” in Hawaii and is the author of several empowering books about holistic health. As a proud mother and women’s health advocate, she still carries that unmistakable inner glow.
“Ever since I healed I have been on a mission to inspire as many people as I can. When women see me before and they see me now, I know that they can follow in my footsteps. If there are any women out there who are sick, who are diagnosed, who are even feeling tired, lousy, depressed, who received this diagnosis ‘cancer’, then I am hoping that they will feel like, ‘Ok if she did this naturally, if she cleansed, if she healed herself, then maybe I can do it too.”
