Well-known breast cancer survivor Kaydia Mckoy shared her riveting story with Jamaica Observer staff on Friday as the newspaper participated in the annual Pink Day observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Mckoy, who has been using her experience to promote awareness of breast cancer, was joined by Guardian Life Financial Advisor Audrey Longmore Wilson, who impressed upon the participants the importance of life insurance.

“Critical illness doesn’t have a name; it picks on everyone. The earlier you get started, the better,” Longmore Wilson stressed.

With critical illness coverage disbursements going up to $50 million, she urged the Observer team members to not wait until the coverage was needed because by then it would be too late to sign up.

Mckoy urged the staff to find strength in the midst of difficulty, saying: “It takes strong mental strength and support and the will to survive …I have lost friends along the way because they start treatment and they decide that they can’t do it anymore and they just give up. But you can’t give up, it may not be cancer, we all have challenges in life, you have to fight, fight, fight.”

Here Mckoy (seventh left) is flanked by (from left) Guardian Life’s Antoinette McDonald, Observer staffers Dana Malcolm, Tricia Smith, Julie-Ann Ewart, Viviene Thomas, Patricia Cohen, Trudet McLean, Ricardo McDonald, Hyacinth Suckra, Kesharia O’Connor, Careen Wright, Marcia Johnson, Fredericka Johnson-Lyle, and Guardian Life’s Longmore Wilson.