Chameleon: Dr. Miracle | Episode 6: "Final Days"

Podcast by Audiochuck & Campside Media
Original Air Date: August 5, 2024
Host: Larison Campbell

Episode Overview

In this deeply affecting conclusion to Season 8 of Chameleon, "Final Days" chronicles the aftermath of the legal battle between Robert Young—a self-styled alternative medicine guru—and his former patient, Dawn Colley. The episode unfolds Young’s continued deceptions, the legal process for victims, and the enduring human cost of false hope. Narrated with clarity and empathy, Larison Campbell exposes not only how con artists thrive in an age of mistrust, but also who pays the price for their lies.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Lawsuit Verdict and its Fallout

Timestamps: 00:21 – 06:13

• Dawn Colley wins her case. The jury finds Robert Young 100% liable for fraud and negligence, awarding Dawn $105 million.

  • "I just start hearing numbers. 91 million...and all my lawyers are just stone faced cold. I needed the reassurance...and so, yeah, they. They awarded me $105 million." – Dawn Colley (01:13)
  • Jurors intended the decision to be a message: “We just wanted [to] send a real big message.” (02:07)

• The real-life impact: But the payout is reduced to $28 million due to legal processes.

  • "The judge reduced it. And this is just normal. They'll reduce it to 28 million, which is still substantial..." – Dawn Colley (03:34)
  • Collecting the money proves nearly impossible, as Young moves assets and hides wealth.

• Asset maneuvering: Thanks to Young’s ex-wife, Shelly, and divorce records, Dawn’s legal team uncovers some hidden holdings. A settlement with Shelly gives Dawn only a fraction of what is owed, notably royalties from Young’s books.

  • "The irony is that the only money Dawn can get...comes from his books, from other people reading about and buying into his lies." – Larison Campbell (06:03)

2. Dawn’s Life After the Lawsuit

Timestamps: 06:29 – 07:46

• Despite the verdict, Dawn’s life is marked by chronic pain, financial insecurity, and struggles with cancer.

  • "It's difficult for Dawn to work. She's in constant pain. In fact, she had to pause our interview several times to take her pain medication." – Larison Campbell (06:29)

• Dawn supports herself through an Etsy store, “Dawn Discovered,” selling caftans and jewelry—work she can manage despite health limitations.

3. Robert Young’s Continued Deception

Timestamps: 07:37 – 16:24

• Young’s return to the wellness/conspiratorial circuit: Campbell and her producer attend the Conscious Life Expo, where Young continues to peddle pseudoscience and conspiracy theories.

  • "We're going to talk about truth versus deception. You can see the title there: Liberty versus COVID 19." – Robert Young (10:50)

• His persistent pitch: Young downplays his past, shifting blame onto patients and painting himself as a victim of a government conspiracy.

  • "You are the cure you want to be...I can't do that for you. But I get blamed for it if it doesn't work for you...because you weren't brave enough or intelligent enough..." – Robert Young (12:48)
  • "This whole thing was a setup—a governmental setup, an FBI, CIA, state to take me down." – Robert Young (14:08)

• Young’s persona thrives in the "conspirituality" space: anti-establishment, persecuted, intertwining wellness, New Age beliefs, and conspiracy.

  • He is active on Rumble and similar platforms, continuing to market his ideas and supplements.

4. How Quacks Co-opt Real Science

Timestamps: 17:47 – 19:15

• Dr. David Gorski, oncologist and skeptic: Explains how alternative medicine hucksters weave science-backed advice (e.g., eating vegetables, exercise) with pseudoscientific claims, increasing their credibility.
  • "They're good at co-opting things that shouldn't be considered alternative..." – Dr. Gorski (17:47)
  • "Is it of any benefit to give someone false hope?" – Dr. Gorski (19:15)

5. The Victims' Stories: What Was Lost

Timestamps: 19:39 – 21:40

• Testimony from victims’ families: Tracy Bodoli Cole's family recounts how Young’s insistence on forgoing real medical treatment led to agony and lost time together.

  • "Time is your most valuable commodity...He took her time and energy away from the people who needed her most. And for that, I'm really angry." – Jane Bottely (20:19)

• Dawn’s lawyer's view on Young’s guilt:

  • "I think Robert Young is guilty of knowing that his treatments were fake...and I think it was absolutely a foreseeable consequence that people...would die." – B.B. Fell (22:04)

6. Accountability and Its Limits

Timestamps: 22:39 – 26:35

• Legal penalties are insufficient: Young is not running the Miracle Ranch anymore, but continues dispensing dangerous health advice online and at events, with little chance of significant further punishment.

  • Investigator Jim Clark: "The only thing that we can do is just keep prosecuting him and hope that...finally the courts say, okay, this is your second time, third time...you're not learning your lesson, so it's time for a lengthy prison sentence." (22:39)

• Young’s family and followers: Some remain loyal, helping at events; his ex-wife Shelly has exited the wellness scene.

• Reflections from former staff and patients: Even some who repudiate Young’s abuses still believe in alternative medicine, distinguishing it from Young’s criminality.

  • "He might have started out wanting to help people, but I think...maybe it just steamrolled him...now he just had to play the part and make money." – Dessa (25:43)
  • "He's a narcissist. We know this. And he's a pathological liar." – Dawn Colley (26:35)

7. Dawn’s Final Days

Timestamps: 27:26 – End

• Survival as the exception: Dawn is painfully aware she outlived other patients of Young’s protocol.

  • "So-and-so dead, so-and-so dead, everyone dead. I'm the only like one still alive." – Dawn Colley (27:39)

• Dawn’s motivation: Her children—especially her youngest son Jonathan—are why she keeps fighting.

  • "He's 13...He just wants me to walk. I fell today. It was just really sad." – Dawn Colley (28:04)

• Loss and legacy: Despite an initial pall of hope due to advances in treatment, Dawn’s health declines rapidly at the end of production; she enters hospice and passes away on May 30, 2024.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the verdict:
  "When the judge read that, they thought she had zero percent fault." – B.B. Fell (00:46)

• On the illusion of miracle cures:
  "It's one thing to believe in miracles. It's another to tell people to risk their lives for them." – Larison Campbell (closing line)

• On responsibility:
  "You weren't brave enough. You weren't intelligent enough. All these years later, it’s still never his fault." – Larison Campbell paraphrasing Young (13:08)

• On the real cost:
  "When you have limited time and you take it from someone, you’ve taken the most valuable thing they have.” – Jane Bottely (20:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jury verdict and financial award: 00:21 – 03:41
• Asset hiding and partial settlements: 03:41 – 06:13
• Dawn’s personal and financial struggles: 06:29 – 07:46
• Larison and Lily at the Conscious Life Expo: 07:37 – 13:08
• Young’s conspiracy theorizing: 13:08 – 16:24
• Expert commentary from Dr. Gorski: 17:47 – 19:15
• Testimony from victims/families: 19:39 – 21:40
• Lawyer/Investigator commentary on stopping Young: 21:40 – 22:55
• Dawn reflects on survival and her children: 27:39 – 29:16
• Dawn’s final days and passing: 29:30 – End

Tone & Final Impressions

The episode is sincerely empathetic, staunchly skeptical of miracle-cure culture, and clear-eyed about the persistence of pseudoscience. Through first-person testimony, expert interviews, and vivid reporting, it shows both the seductive power and devastating cost of modern medical cons. The story ends, not with justice fully served, but with a somber reflection on hope, healing, and the dangers of deception—leaving listeners with a lasting caution.

In Memory: Dawn Colley passed away on May 30, 2024. The producers thank her for sharing her story.