What happened to Jessica Ainscough? What we know about the Australian woman who used holistic methods to treat cancer

Jessica Ainscough, an Australian wellness influencer, passed away on February 26, 2015, following a long battle with a rare cancer.

Ainscough had a rare soft-tissue cancer, epithelioid sarcoma, which spread through her left arm. The blogger, who was also known as the Wellness Warrior, was diagnosed with cancer seven years before her passing. As the rare cancer impacted Ainscough's left arm, doctors recommended amputation while being hopeful of a 10-year survival.

After refusing amputation, Jessica Ainscough chose chemotherapy, which was effective initially. When chemotherapy seemingly became ineffective, the doctors again proposed amputation as a way to increase Ainscough’s chances of survival. Instead of getting her arm amputated, the Wellness Warrior chose a holistic approach for her treatment.

Jessica Ainscough pursued Gerson Therapy and even documented her treatment experiences through a blog. Unfortunately, in February 2015, Ainscough passed away due to untreated cancer before she turned 30. Jessica was engaged to Tallon Pamenter at the time of her death, as the couple had reportedly planned to marry later in 2015.

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Gerson Therapy, the alternative cancer treatment used by Jessica Ainscough, is often considered pseudoscientific

Gerson Therapy was the alternative cancer treatment Jessica Ainscough chose after rejecting amputation for the second time. For those unaware, Gerson Therapy typically involves consuming a vegetarian diet and other dietary supplements alongside daily coffee enemas, which are supposed to cleanse toxins.

However, the alternative approach is often considered pseudoscientific by many cancer institutes across the globe. According to the American Cancer Society,

“There is very little scientific evidence to support the use of other components of the Gerson regimen, such as consuming only fresh, raw juices prepared in a certain way, eliminating salt from the diet, and “detoxifying” the liver through coffee enemas and injected liver extracts, have very little scientific evidence to support their use against cancer.”

The American Cancer Society has also suggested against the therapy, citing the potential complications or health problems.

“Use of the Gerson therapy can lead to a number of significant problems. Serious illness and death have occurred from some of the components of the treatment, such as the coffee enemas.”

Cancer Council Australia (cancer.org.au) states,

“Gerson therapy is not a valid or effective treatment for cancer. It should never be taken in lieu of genuine treatments like surgery, radiation therapy (radiotherapy) or chemotherapy.”

At the same time, the US-based National Cancer Institute also says,

“Because no prospective, controlled study of the use of the Gerson therapy in cancer patients has been reported in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, no level of evidence analysis is possible for this approach. The data that are available are not sufficient to warrant claims that the Gerson therapy is effective as an adjuvant to other cancer therapies or as a cure.”

Jessica Ainscough, who adopted Gerson therapy as the treatment, was not the only person in her family to rely on the alternative method. Her mother, Sharyn Ainscough, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, following which she rejected the conventional treatment and chose Gerson Therapy like her daughter.

Unfortunately, Sharyn passed away in October 2013 due to untreated breast cancer. Her daughter, Jessica, who had switched to radiation therapy during the last stage of her life, also passed away due to untreated epithelioid sarcoma.

Almost a decade after Jessica’s passing, her case reportedly inspired a character in the 2025 Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar. The Australian series based on the real-life wellness guru and convicted scammer Belle Gibson features a character named Milla Blake. Milla, who is seemingly based on Jessica, is also diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and refuses to get her arm amputated.