Najah Peterkin: Faith, community and surviving breast cancer

NAJAH Peterkin remembers a life filled with movement, ambition, and joy before breast cancer entered her story.

“I was your typical Jamaican young lady,” she recalled. “I like to work hard, but I also like to play hard. I love to dance and go to the beach. I was very active from a very young age.”

A graduate of Wolmer’s Preparatory and Immaculate Conception High schools,  Peterkin went on to the University of Technology, where she specialised in Banking and Finance, before completing her MBA at the Mona School of Business in the same concentration. Focused and determined, she was the picture of a young Jamaican woman with clear goals and a zest for life.

Before her diagnosis, breast cancer wasn’t something that weighed heavily on her mind.

“I can’t say that I thought about breast cancer a lot prior to being diagnosed,” she admitted. “I did have an aunt who was diagnosed, my mom’s sister, about a year before I was, but she lives in England, so I still felt a little removed from the situation.” That sense of distance disappeared when Peterkin made a discovery that would change her life.

“I discovered that something was wrong through self-examination. I felt a lump, but I’d feel it today, not feel it next week, and you know, out of sight, out of mind.” She was comforted by this until this lump was also noticeable to her partner. “He also felt it, and he encouraged me to go and get it checked out.”

She paid homage to Dr Freddie Jackson. “God bless his soul,” she said. She further shared that upon inspection, Dr Jackson confirmed that he also detected a mass.

“He did say that he felt it too. He didn’t love it, but he was going to let me do an ultrasound just to check it out further.”

When the results came back, the news was devastating. “Unfortunately, when we went for the ultrasound, it showed that I did have breast cancer. It was in fact a tumour and it wasn’t benign. Shock, grief, despair, these are things that come to mind. After all, I was 31, in my head that was really young.”

Peterkin was diagnosed in 2011 with stage two triple-negative breast cancer. “At that time, Jamaica didn’t have, or I didn’t know about immunotherapy,” she explained. “Based on the type of cancer that I had, we went with an aggressive treatment which saw me doing surgery, a mastectomy, followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy, five weeks of radiation, and then four more rounds of chemotherapy.”

The treatment process was gruelling physically, emotionally, and mentally. “The surgery was tough because it’s the removal of a body part you’ve been used to having for so long, and it’s a huge part of your female disposition. But the truth is, I just wanted to get the cancer out of me.”

Through it all, Peterkin leaned on her inner strength and her unwavering faith. “Pushing through is a strong part of my character,” she said. “My mindset really helped me to push through these difficult moments. I knew I was going to make it. I willed myself to survive these moments. I had faith – faith in God, faith in myself, faith in the doctors and the team that I was working with.”

She attributes a smooth recovery to the presence and efforts of her village. “My mom, my partner, my friends and my family were fully there for me. They accompanied me to appointments, they rostered my schedule for visitors so it wasn’t overwhelming, they made me special tea, gave me pedicures, whatever I needed. I needed nothing. They made sure that I was taken care of.”

Peterkin continued to work throughout her treatment with the full support of her employer. “I have to extend gratitude to my workplace, NCB Capital Markets,” she said. “They were very accommodating, allowing me to work through this stage and schedule days for my chemotherapy treatment.”

During her recovery, Peterkin was introduced to Jamaica Reach to Recovery, a breast cancer support organisation that she now serves as a board member. “I definitely wanted to join because I think I represent a younger audience,” she said. “It’s easy to think of breast cancer as an older woman’s disease, but I want to be part of the change so people understand that it can happen at any age.”

Her friends also joined her in supporting the cause. “The year I finished my recovery, they enrolled us as a team to participate in the Pink Run. They got the T-shirts made, and I just felt really supported in that moment. I think Reach to Recovery is a wonderful place to allow for that, and the Pink Run by extension brings so much awareness and camaraderie to this initiative.”

The Pink Run, she says, remains close to her heart because it supports those facing the financial strain of treatment. “The disease is very expensive, and there are a lot of people who do not have insurance. The Pink Run really does allow us to help a lot of our fellow Jamaicans.”

Looking back, Peterkin credits her early preparation, though unintentional, with making her recovery possible.

“Health insurance and critical illness insurance are so important,” she emphasised. “I would have taken out a policy when I was about 23 or 24. At the time, I was just being a good friend – I don’t think I even understood what I was really doing, but it helped to save my life or certainly helped me to overcome this disease quicker.”

Today, Peterkin lives with renewed gratitude. “Surviving breast cancer has surely given me a new outlook on life. I live differently. I take the time to slow down. I try to keep in touch with friends and family a little bit more. I make that effort to live a fuller, responsible life and give back in whatever way I can.”

Her message to others facing a diagnosis is one of hope and resilience. “Stay positive, believe in yourself, surround yourself with the right people from the start. Get close and comfortable with your doctor,” she advised. “Be comfortable with yourself. Journal if you need to, talk to someone if you need to. You’re not alone. Get in touch with Jamaica Reach to Recovery. There are quite a few of us who have been on that journey and can support you. Stay lifted, stay blessed, stay positive, and you will get through.”

Driving her point home, Peterkin emphasised, “So when we say early detection saves lives, it’s a real thing.”

Peterkin hopes for continued improvements in breast cancer care in Jamaica. “I did have the opportunity to go abroad for some testing, and I liked how they approached breast cancer there. They have facilities that bring all your doctors, nutritionists, even a counsellor in the same room,so there’s dialogue with the patient and all these people to help process what the journey may look like.”

Her call is clear. “If Jamaica could arrange something like that, it would be really helpful. Of course, we want more mammogram machines because early detection is so important. Promoting women to know their bodies and feel their bodies, those are things we can all do to support our patients a little bit more.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Pink Run. This year’s run is scheduled for October 26 at Emancipation Park. Participants of all ages are encouraged to join to celebrate survivors and help provide much-needed financial support for those undergoing treatment.