Breast cancer survivor reflects on support system and urges women to plan ahead
IN a routine health check-up in October 2021, Anna-Maria Toby recalls the doctor sharing concern about her breast, and recommending she get a mammogram done quickly. While placed on her to-do list, the mammogram was soon forgotten, and she quickly moved on with her life.
The following January, Toby caught a glimpse of her breast in the mirror while getting dressed, and noticed what appeared to be a lime-sized lump.
She remembers musing about the doctor’s earlier recommendation for her to do the mammogram and added it to her mental to-do list once again.
This was also quickly forgotten after being pushed to the back of her mind.
It was only during a dinner with her friend Dr Saphire Longmore — a breast cancer survivor — that the topic emerged again. Toby’s own health quickly came into focus and she started asking her friend about the cost for breast cancer treatment.
“I was petrified; I had completely forgotten about the doctor’s concerns and what I had seen until my friend started sharing her own experience. Saphire was on to me though, saying my questions did not sound random and there must be a reason I was asking her for so many details,” she revealed.
At Dr Longmore’s insistence, Toby allowed her to examine her breast, confirming that a mammogram was indeed needed — and quickly. Roping in another long-time friend, Saffrey Brown, a quick plan was formulated and put into motion.
Immediately after, she found herself caught up in a whirlwind of mammograms, biopsies, scans, blood tests and consultations — the devastating result: stage four triple-positive breast cancer.
If she were to have any chances at survival, treatment would have to be swift and aggressive — which also had a high-cost implication. The bills quickly added up — from chemotherapy sessions running $350,000 each, immunotherapy sessions at $1.2M to $1.5M each, scans, tests, check-ups and even a root canal for $200,000.
The next big problem — Toby was without a critical illness plan to help offset her multi-million-dollar breast cancer bill. Even her life-savings would not have been able to sufficiently cover the full cost of treatment out of pocket, so family and friends quickly stepped up to offer their support — both financially and emotionally.
“I’m so grateful for my circle of family and friends,” Toby reflected. “Even when my uncles heard the cost of the treatment, they insisted they would find it. I did not have to ask a single person for any help, they simply showed up and made me know that I had their support, and that they were fighting for me.”
Thankfully, Toby had made the decision a few months prior to leave her freelance role and re-enter Corporate Jamaica, where she got access to health insurance from her employer, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited. This health insurance helped to significantly offset the costs of treatment and general medical expenses.
“I’ve been extremely fortunate to have the support of the organisation I work for, and my team members,” she shared. “They’ve not only been sympathetic about my situation, they’ve also jumped in to support me with my projects, checked on me, and helped me to understand the range of benefits available to support me during this time. I could not be more grateful for their support.”
One of the most important elements of Toby’s support system is her mother, Rosalie Feurtado-Toby. After offering to spend a weekend with her just before the first chemotherapy treatment, it turned into a six-month stay complete with daily assistance, emotional support and just good company.
“My family and friends were able to help me,” Toby said. “However, everyone is not necessarily emotionally equipped to handle a life-threatening diagnosis like breast cancer. So I urge my fellow warriors to be open to accepting help from wherever it may come, because this is when you will need it the most.”
