Keep eye on kids, cancer survivor warns parents

Rojette Williams was just 11 years old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Had it not been for early screening, it might have gone undiagnosed for longer.

Now a medical doctor, the 37-year-old cancer survivor is happy to be alive despite the upheaval the diagnosis brought during her preteen years.

She had just completed her Common Entrance Examination at the time and had managed to secure a place at her dream school, Immaculate Conception High.

Williams was the typical energetic kid. But her parents realised that she tired easily – a sign that all was not well.

“I had a persistent fever after getting an insect bite, and that aroused a lot of suspicion as to why I was having such a long fever,” said Williams, who was then a prep-school track star.

Williams is from a family of doctors, with her father, brother, sister, uncle, and aunt all being medical practitioners. Her aunt, Dr Sandra Williams, a paediatrician, decided to pursue further investigations because her blood count was low.

After undergoing a blood transfusion and chemotherapy at The University Hospital of the West Indies, she was transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she received treatment for a year and a half.

“At that point in time, my survival in Jamaica would have been low because they didn’t have any success rates with treating leukaemia in Jamaica,” she said.

Williams had initially wanted to become a haemotologist or oncologist to help other cancer patients increase their chances of survival, but she changed tack while in medical school.

But in her own way, she has been doing what she can to help in the fight against cancer. Williams is a strong advocate of early diagnosis, the likelihood of which increases with screening. She encourages parents to be very vigilant and act when their children display troubling symptoms.

“Maybe they are not just sleeping a lot because they are tired, [but] maybe something else is happening,” she advised.

Williams is concerned about the costs of cancer treatment, which spurred her to contemplate starting a foundation to lend support.

Today is World Cancer Day, and director of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr Carissa Etienne, has also raised concerns about equitable access to treatment.

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Americas, and like COVID-19, cancer is a disease that exacerbates inequalities,” Etienne said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

“Those who live in poverty with limited access to healthcare are especially at risk, and yet about a third of all cancer cases are preventable.”

Dr Michelle Reece-Mills, of the UHWI Paediatric Oncology Division, told The Gleaner last October that her observations showed that leukaemia, brain tumours, and lymphomas were the top three cancers affecting children in Jamaica.

nadine.wilson@gleanerjm.com