‘Living my life like it’s golden’

BACK pain. That was the reason for the doctor’s visit that led to Shamara Morrison’s breast cancer diagnosis two years ago. Though she was initially devastated by the news, Morrison beat the disease, and is now more determined than ever to live her life to the fullest, as each new day is a reminder that she is a survivor.

The registered nurse at Bustamante Hospital for Children was 32 years old at the time, and though she attended to babies with various illnesses, including cancers, it never once crossed her mind that she would find herself battling the disease, especially at such a young age.

Morrison shares her story of triumph as part of Sagicor Group Jamaica’s Together We Can Survive breast cancer awareness campaign, which aims to share the journeys of breast cancer survivors, support warriors, honour the fallen, and encourage women to get screened early for breast cancer.

“I was about to leave the doctor’s office after telling him about the back pain, but I decided to mention to him that I sometimes noticed a little fluid coming from my breast close to my menses each month. When I said that, he said I should come back and have a seat,” Morrison shared.

That was the end of September, and by the middle of October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Morrison had done a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy, and received the dreaded phone call from her doctor.

“I don’t think the reality hit me immediately, but when I thought about the fact that I had to go home and tell my mom that I had breast cancer, after we had lost my father suddenly a few months earlier, my whole world was turned upside down. It was at that point that I started crying,” she recounted emotionally.

Morrison asked her cousin to tell her mother instead, then went home. After comforting her mother, she went to her own room and broke down again. But she didn’t stay down for long. The nurse decided very quickly that she wanted to have the affected breast removed entirely (mastectomy), and with the support of her mother and siblings, she began preparing for the surgery and subsequent treatments.

“It wasn’t easy sometimes,” she recalled. “I still remember a six-month-old baby girl who had died from cancer at the hospital. I cried so much for her. After I was diagnosed, although I was still able to work, I couldn’t bear to work with the babies who had cancer.”

With the support of her close-knit family, as well as the financial cushion provided by Sagicor Life, Morrison courageously got on the road to recovery.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I wasn’t insured — it saved my life,” she said. “My father had just passed away, and my mother wasn’t well, and the treatment is extremely expensive. My critical illness and medigap plan covered most of my expenses, so I didn’t have that part of it to worry about.”

She also shared her gratitude for her family and friends who supported her on her journey.

“I had a very strong support system around me. My sisters came to every single appointment with me, even when I didn’t want them to come because they would make me late,” she laughed. “I had to miss out on a lot of outings at the time, especially because of COVID-19, but they were always there for me.”

But just as Morrison was celebrating her final week of radiation, there was a cruel twist of fate.

“When my mom passed, it ‘lick me fi six’ because it wasn’t even a full year after my father, and we were all so happy that I was finally done with treatment,” she said. “But one thing about my mother is that she wouldn’t want us to be sad. I keep telling my siblings we just have to push and go through. Yes, it hurts like hell, but at the end of the day we still have life and we still have to live it. That is exactly what I am doing.”

Evidenced by her jubilant and animated demeanour, the kindness with which she treats others, and the way she allows small challenges to roll right off her back, Morrison is a ray of sunshine in the lives of others. She uses her story of strength, courage and swift action to encourage others to be vigilant when it comes to their health.

“I have a very positive outlook on life,” she explains. “These days I’m living my life like it’s golden. I’m always happy. There is nothing anybody can say to me that can break me, because I have already been broken, and I survived.”