JCS exec director and family donate $500,000 toward mammography machine in memory of Lindel Steele
ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — A personal loss and a desire to help have inspired Roshane Reid-Koomson, executive director of the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS), to lead a fundraising effort in support of a new mammography machine.
The effort began after Reid-Koomson joined the society on March 24, 2025, and learned that its only mammography machine was nearing the end of its operational life. The machine is now out of service, and the JCS has had to suspend its mammography screening service.
“I lost my grandaunt, Lindel Steele, to breast cancer. She did not get the opportunity to have a mammogram or receive treatment. I have also lost other family members to prostate cancer, so this cause in general is personal to me, as well as part of my work,” Reid-Koomson said.
“I kept asking myself, ‘What can I do from a personal standpoint?’ I did not have a detailed plan, but I had the heart to begin.”
In September 2026, Reid-Koomson used part of the money her husband, Charles Koomson, had given her toward their sons’ school contribution to purchase the first breast cancer awareness lapel pins for resale. When she told him about the initiative, he was very supportive, although she did not initially tell him where she got the money to buy the first batch of pins.
“I created a flyer via ChatGPT, shared it on social media and waited to see what would happen. That same night, I started receiving messages from persons who wanted to buy pins. Some were cancer survivors who understood the personal and financial challenges a diagnosis can bring, others had lost a family member to cancer and others were just sympathetic to the cause. Their support, including from family and friends, encouraged me to keep going,” she said.
“I must particularly recognise Mrs Debra-Gail Williamson, staff development officer, at Creative Kids Learning Academy (CKLA) for her generous spirit and remarkable commitment. She has such a big heart and an unmatched drive and passion. She saw the advertisement, contacted me and we just connected from that point. She helped to sell 246 pins, raising $246,000, which was almost half of the amount raised through the initiative,” Reid-Koomson emphasised.
Other notable contributors include Immaculate Preparatory School and Mona Preparatory School. All three schools were recipients of the Mammogram Champion Award for their contributions to this initiative.
Although immediate family members of the late Lindel Steele were unable to attend the handover because of work commitments, a symbolic presentation in support of the mammography machine campaign took place at the Pink Praise Concert at the Celebration Church in Portmore, St Catherine, on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
Dean Steele, Lindel’s eldest son, said the contribution honoured his mother while helping other women access screening.
Roshane Reid-Koomson (right), Executive Director of the Jamaica Cancer Society, presents a Mammogram Champion Award to Mrs. Debra-Gail Williamson (left), Staff Development Officer at Creative Kids Learning Academy (CKLA). The presentation took place at the Pink Praise Concert on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Celebration Church in Portmore, St. Catherine.
“Whenever someone asks for help, help will come. God sees our struggles and cares. He knows that the Jamaica Cancer Society needs a new mammography machine and he will help them to get it. I believe that even this modest donation may inspire others to contribute. On behalf of my other three siblings and I, I feel thankful and proud that my cousin was able to do this for our mother. Our mother never got the opportunity to have a mammogram, but I am glad that other women may be able to access this service because of her,” he declared.
Reid-Koomson said she was moved by the response from ordinary Jamaicans.
“I felt like crying when I saw how much we had raised. It’s ordinary persons who showed up by buying one pin, five pins, 10 pins, 30 pins, 50 pins or 246 pins,” Reid-Koomson said. “This showed me the power of community and what can be achieved with passion and determination. Where there’s a will, there’s surely a way.”
Raised in Arcadia District, St Thomas, Reid-Koomson hopes the initiative will encourage more Jamaicans to support causes in their communities.
“$500,000 may seem small beside a $33-million to $39-million target. But every contribution matters. If 20 people each gave $500,000, that’s a total of $10 million, which could move us significantly closer to our goal,” she opined.
“I hope this initiative can build a sustained culture of generosity, where every contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference collectively. In some first-world countries, shoppers are invited to round up their purchases to support cancer care. I hope we can nurture that same spirit in Jamaica, where small acts of kindness can add up to make a meaningful difference. Each of us can play a part in our own way. As His Excellency the Most Hon Sir Patrick Linton Allen, ON, GCMG, CD, KSt.J, Governor-General of Jamaica, has said, ‘There is nothing wrong with Jamaica that what is right about Jamaica cannot fix.”
For Reid-Koomson, the handover was also a personal milestone.
“As executive director, I have often been on the receiving end of donations for the society. It was a proud moment to stand on the donor side and make a contribution to the organisation where I work. It is a feeling I cannot easily explain,” she said.
The funds will support the Jamaica Cancer Society’s efforts to acquire a replacement mammography machine and restore access to this important breast screening service.
Reid-Koomson’s $500,000 contribution forms part of the $7,633,022.40 received or pledged from individual donors and corporate entities to date.
Reid-Koomson said the campaign is also expecting a major donation from the Jamaica Reach to Recovery, through proceeds from the Pink Run, while discussions continue with other prospective major donors to close the gap.
