Dr. Gladys Taylor McGarey is a 103-year-old medical pioneer, visionary, and author affectionately known around the world as the "Mother of Holistic Medicine." Her new book is "The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age."

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Dr. Gladys Taylor McGarey is a medical pioneer, visionary, and author affectionately known around the world as the "Mother of Holistic Medicine" who I have been privileged to know and love for almost 40 years. She celebrated her 103rd birthday on November 30, 2023.

A true living legend, Dr. Gladys has just published her fifth book, "The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age." In it she shares extraordinary stories, eternal wisdom and her six actionable secrets to enjoying a life that is long, happy, and purpose-driven. And she shares her personal plan for her next decade!

She recounts her early childhood in India, traveling through the Indian outback on medical safaris with her missionary-doctor parents. She shares her encounter with Mahatma Gandhi, and her life as a physician and a mother of six. She beat cancer twice, and survived the trauma of being unexpectedly served with divorce papers at age 70, after 46 years of marriage.

Dr. Gladys was born in India in 1920--her mother went into sudden labor the moment she set eyes on the Taj Mahal. In books and presentations, Dr. Gladys has shared her previous life memories and feelings of guilt as the attendant at the birth in which Mumtaz Mahal died.

Fascinated by the Taj Mahal since I was a preschooler, I created one of my major works of wearable art with a focus on that magnificent monument to Mumtaz Mahal built by her bereaved husband. When I finally had the occasion to show this piece to Dr. Gladys in person, she tried it on and we were both thrilled!

In 1937 Gladys came to the United States from India to attend college and medical school. She began her medical practice at a time when women couldn't even own their own bank accounts.

Later, she co-founded the A.R.E. Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, where she and her former husband pioneered the integration of allopathic and holistic medical practices.

In 1978, along with neurosurgeon and holistic doctor, Norman Shealy, she and others co-founded the American Holistic Medical Association (now the Foundation for Alternative and Integrative Medicine.)

Dr. Gladys was an early pioneer in using acupuncture in the U.S. and she trained other physicians in how to utilize it.

While raising six children Dr. Gladys continued her medical practice, her research, and the advancement of birthing practices. She promoted natural childbirth and pioneered efforts to allow fathers in the delivery room. Among Dr. Gladys' innovations for natural birthing was the Baby Buggy Program founded in 1978, featuring a fully-equipped paramedical and emergency transport vehicle which was at-the-ready during home deliveries.

At the age of 86 she went to Afghanistan to teach rural women safer birthing practices, riding a donkey in the process! As a result, infant mortality rates in the area decreased by 47%.

In addition to co-founding the A.R.E. Clinic in Phoenix, she also co-founded The Scottsdale Holistic Medical Group where she practiced with her daughter, Helene Wechsler, M.D., from 1989 to 2004. In 2004, Dr. Wechsler opened a new practice, Scottsdale Private Physicians, where Dr. Gladys helps clients one day per week through life coaching, dream interpretation, and her own form of "Living Medicine." While she no longer has a license to practice medicine, she continues to offer consultations: "They didn't tell me I had to stop talking," she quips.

My favorite of Dr. Gladys' stories is one I have heard her tell, and also read in the early 1980s in her book, Born to Live: A Holistic Approach to Childbirth. The book is full of remarkable stories of pre-birth contact between parent and child-to-be and other poignant events.

As I recall, Dr. Gladys had a patient who was especially excited to finally give birth. No one but the patient, her husband, and Dr. Gladys knew that she had reluctantly had an abortion before she and her husband were married. This time, a beautiful little girl was born! When the baby became a toddler, the mother recounted that one day while they were eating lunch, suddenly her little girl looked directly at her with great seriousness and said, "Mommy, I was your baby before. But daddy wasn't ready for me to come yet, so I went away. But I came back."

One Amazon reviewer nailed it, when they wrote, "the stories in this book affirm the divine order of the circle of life and death." Dr. Gladys notes, "As often as possible, I have quoted the stories as they were written for me by the individuals experiencing the events. Other stories are in my own words, as nearly as I could remember them as they were told to me. And the remainder of the tales told are in the area of helping mothers birth babies into the world and taking care of people and their problems in the course of my practice of medicine."

Dr Gladys gave this engaging TEDx talk at age 100:

With her eternal beauty and sunny disposition, it seems to be no accident that the first four letters of her name spell "glad." And many of us are so glad to be in a world which she has imprinted with her love and healing.

Happy birthday, Dr. Gladys, and thank you for your wit, wisdom and kindness, the world is enhanced and healed by your presence. I love you.

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Find Dr. Gladys McGarey on Instagram as @BeGladMD.

Dr Glady McGareys' newest book, "The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age" is available on Amazon and through her website.

Another excellent read is "Born to Heal: The Life Story of Holistic Pioneer Gladys Taylor McGarey, MD," written by her daughter, Analea McGarey, and published in 2003.

Dr. Gladys McGarey's numerous awards and professional positions include:

• The American Holistic Medical Association, Past President
• Arizona Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners, Past President
• American Board of Holistic Medicine, Founding Diplomat
• Arizona State University, member of Advisory Board
• Humanities Award for Outstanding Service to Mankind, from the National Committee for the Advancement of Parapsychology and Medicine (1990)
• YWCA Tribute to Women Award in the healer category (1998)
• David Stackhouse Award for pioneering excellence in homeopathy (1994)
• Honored by the American Holistic Medical Association as a Pioneer of Holistic Medicine (2003)
• Inducted into Arizona Women's Hall of Fame, 2017 Living Legacy Award (2017)
• Women's Empowerment Award, YWCA (2015)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (2015)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Healthcare Heroes, Phoenix Business Journal (2015)
• Volunteer Service Award, Diana Gregory Outreach Services Foundation (2016)
• Legacy Award, Deby Gaby Charities (2016)
• Outstanding Pioneer work and Leadership , Phoenix Area Indian Health Services (2001)
• ISSSEEM, Elmer and Alyce Green Innovation (1999)
• Leadership Award, Wellcare Foundation (2001)
• Outstanding Service to Humanity, Muskingum College Alumni Award (2001)
• Healer of the Year, Nurse Healers Therapeutic Touch (2003)

Authors Website: http://www.OceanViewArts.com

Authors Bio:

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark.

Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE

A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8

She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR.

Her artwork is in collections across the globe.

Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May.

OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html

Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html

On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-Pussy-Hats-170212-681.html

"Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html

Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul

Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html
Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here.