Author(s): Petrea King

Australian

'Petrea King is one of those rare Australians who have changed the country for the better.' Richard Glover As a child Petrea King was dogged by health issues, spending many years in and out of hospital and undergoing numerous operations. After leaving school at fourteen, she worked as a secretary until her desire to help others impelled her to become a nurse. A growing interest in alternative therapies led to Petrea qualifying as a naturopath, herbalist, homoeopath, yoga instructor, meditation teacher and counsellor. In her early thirties Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and given little chance to live. She defied her dire prognosis, and believes meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences in her life, including the suicide of her brother Brenden, were key to her recovery. Motivated by her own experiences, Petrea founded the Quest for Life Foundation in 1989 and has since dedicated herself to supporting people living with cancer, neurological and other serious physical illnesses, as well as those suffering from grief, loss, post-trauma stress and mental illnesses. Up Until Now is an inspirational tale of how Petrea King overcame acute physical setbacks in childhood and recovered from a life-threatening illness as an adult. It is the story of a woman who has dedicated her life to supporting people suffering devastating physical and mental illnesses.