Breast cancer survivor celebrates friendship

When Shamara Morrison and Christal Stanhope met at Gaynstead High School over 20 years ago, they never knew where the journey of friendship would take them. But, through the challenges of grief and trials, they discovered a bond so strong that they now consider it unbreakable. Their story, which emphasises the power of friendship as a source of strength, was shared as part of Sagicor Group Jamaica’s ‘Inspiring Hope, Celebrating Resilience’ breast cancer awareness campaign.

Many persons can recall a time in their life when they experienced what would feel like a breaking point. For Stanhope and Morrison, that time began in 2019 when Stanhope’s boyfriend died in September of that year.

“Up to that point, that was the hardest thing I had ever experienced, but from I got the call, Shamara was the first person that got to my house. She dropped everything to ensure I was okay, and with the presence of her and my other friends, I was able to pull through,” shared Stanhope.

Two months after that ordeal, Morrison’s dad passed in December, and it was now Stanhope’s time to be the glue that kept them together. “When my boyfriend died, Shamara helped with the wake. She cooked, drove me to the funeral, and was just always there when I needed her. When her dad died, it wasn’t hard to draw strength. I just knew I had to be there for her in the same way she was for me,” shared Stanhope.

Facing grief together brought new depth to their already resilient friendship. However, in October of 2020, Morrison was diagnosed with breast cancer, and their lives took yet another unexpected turn.

“When my dad died, I saw fluid coming from my breast. However, it was not unusual for me because it is something that would happen on and off during my period cycles, so I didn’t take it seriously. I have chronic backache, and so after one of my doctor visits, I mentioned it to the doctor, and he scheduled a mammogram and a sonogram,” explained Morrison.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Following this, she had to also do a biopsy, and with Stanhope and their other friend, Kadian, by her side, she tackled her uncertain future head on. “They were both with me for the biopsy, and when I got the call to pick up the result, they were with me as well,” shared Morrison.

With her friends waiting for her in the car, Morrison described how she felt when she heard the words “this is not the result that we’re looking for” from her doctor. “My mind went blank,” she said. “As soon as I got to the car, they knew something was wrong. There was dead silence except for me crying for the entire journey,” she added.

Morrison, who is also a Sagicor Life client, highlighted that without her support system, she would not have handled her breast cancer journey as well as she did. With appreciation and love present in her tone, she shared how comforting it was to have what she described as “top-tier friends” who were by her side for every appointment.

“I spread breast cancer awareness every chance I get, and I always tell people that outside of money and health insurance, support is needed. You are going to need somebody at some point because there will be moments that you aren’t strong enough for yourself and will need their strength and support to get through,” said Morrison.

The weekend after her last chemotherapy cycle, Morrison lost her mom, and her support system was once again needed to keep her going. “My friends and I are always doing road trips, even before the grief and my diagnosis, and it was also one of the things that kept us together during such a challenging time.”

In 2022, Morrison went into remission and now, as a breast cancer survivor, she wants others facing this ordeal to know that cancer isn’t a death sentence and that seeking support is crucial for their journey to survival.

“I thought I was tough, but if you have a friend and that’s your person, support each other the best way you can,” she shared.