Life can sometimes throw us a curve ball, but the will to overcome obstacles can be brought to the surface when we are faced with challenges. This is true of two exemplary women who have fought and beaten breast cancer.
Rosaline Clarke
Because of her strength, her determination and her positive outlook on life, Rosaline Clarke embodies the spirit of a true cancer warrior and stands as a prime example that breast cancer is no match for a woman like her.
Known to most as ‘Ms Rosie’ or ‘Sister Rosie’, this mother of three learned some years ago that all of her siblings have been directly affected by cancer, two of which she helplessly watched as they were consumed by the disease.
Rosie’s personal journey with breast cancer began just one year ago while on vacation in the United States visiting her 97-year-old mother. It was on the third day after arrival that she “felt a sharp pain” in her left side breast. At first, she thought it was most likely a muscle strain caused by the luggage she had been hauling around, but after an examination, found that there was a lump in her breast. Rosie’s eldest sister, who was present at the time, encouraged her to remain calm. It was then that her sister disclosed for the very first time that she too had been battling cancer in her left breast for just about two years.
Three weeks after returning to Guyana and seeking a second opinion, Rosie underwent a lumpectomy. The initial report was that it was a cyst that had developed in her breast, but after a biopsy was conducted, Rosie was called in by the medical practitioners – she was strongly urged not to come alone. Yet, ever the brave soldier, Rosie went by herself, but she attests that she was not alone as, she said, her faith and resolve in her “God and Saviour” walked beside her.
The news was not good: Rosie had developed cancer in her breast. Two options were placed on the table – remove the lump or remove the entire breast. Rosie had a huge decision to make. She opted to remove her entire breast and avoid the rigors of chemotherapy she had learnt of from her eldest sister’s experience with the treatment. Rosie has since started her treatment using the “five-year pill”.
In a press release from GTT, the telecommunications company said it celebrates this warrior spirit that lives on in Rosie. The company also commends her unrelenting desire to live in victory.
While faced with the overwhelming temptation to fall into worry and depression, Rosie continues to beat the odds and has instead thrown herself thoroughly into serving her community through her local church, the Open Bible Church in Queenstown. There, she serves as an usher and Sunday school teacher and assists in many of the church’s programmes to the immediate and surrounding community. There, she too receives much support through prayer and fasting with other members and the leadership of the church.
“I wasn’t afraid… I wasn’t scared,” Rosie recalled the initial days of her journey and battle against cancer. Her philosophy is: “Belief kills and belief cures”. This warrior chooses to believe in the power of God to heal her completely.
Rosie spends much of her time reading and doing research geared towards educating herself about the disease. On any given weekend, you can find Rosie with her Sunday school children at their book club. On weekday afternoons, Rosie’s time is spent with her granddaughter on the veranda of her Albert Street home in Georgetown.
Mitzy Gaynor Campbell
At the heart of every warrior is a resilient spirit that refuses to give up and this is exactly what Mitzy Gaynor Campbell does – refusing to surrender to breast cancer.
From a young age, Mitzy had always been a fighter. She knew that she was strong and she wanted everybody to know it. So, when cancer came knocking at Mitzy’s door in 1998, she knew that there was only one thing she could do, fight.
Fight was exactly what she did. After Mitzy had seen four of the women in her family and even her maternal grandmother die from cancer, she knew that she would have to fight the hardest battle of her life. She could not just allow this disease to continue robbing her family of their rich history and cultural heritage.
This 2015 recipient of the National Award, the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement, Mitzy fought cancer head on and has lived to tell her story. Twenty years later, she continues to serve as a beacon of strength and hope to all who know of her battles.
Currently, her main desire is to ensure that all women not only get themselves screened, but to be educated on reproductive health and contraceptives. With eight children and 10 grandchildren, she knows the importance of Planned Parenthood. (Information and photos by GTT)
