2 months ago
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Dr Rose Ann Smith is a proud breast cancer survivor. Her journey over the last year – from diagnosis to treatment – has been riddled with challenges, but she has weathered the storm with grace and determination; rising like a phoenix amid adversities.
Originally from St Vincent and the Grenadines, Smith grew up in Mesopotamia, known as the breadbasket of St Vincent. As a country girl, she felt the sting of poverty. However, she has been able to triumphantly break through many barriers to overcome her many early challenges.
“Despite growing up with limited means, my childhood was filled with joyful memories of river bathing, picking mangoes, playing dolly house, and enjoying ring games, experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Smith said.
During her formative years in the land of her birth, Smith never imagined herself living in Jamaica. However, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona was the only campus offering geography, and after spending three years there, she met and fell in love with her now husband. After completing her first degree, she decided to return for postgraduate studies. During that time, she got married, got a job at the UWI, and started a family.
Smith is now an environmental researcher and lecturer at the UWI. She teaches several courses, but her primary area of expertise is in geography.
Smith’s breast cancer diagnosis began unexpectedly with a pain in her hand, which led her to feel around her underarm, where she discovered a lump. “At first, I thought it might be from overexertion during exercise, but the lump was concerning. Still, I wasn’t overly fearful since I had found a benign lump before,” she said.
“After an ultrasound, the results suggested it was likely a fibroadenoma, similar to what I had found in the same breast previously, though they recommended further testing. I chose to have it removed and consulted a surgeon, who performed the procedure. It was the pathology from that lump that revealed I had breast cancer. I can still remember hearing the words, ‘You have breast cancer’, as if it were yesterday. My initial reaction was shock and numbness, followed quickly by fear,” she added.
Smith said she drew strength from God and her faith, the support of family and friends, counselling, and journalling. “Initially, I was terrified of death, because hearing the word ‘cancer’ can feel like a death sentence. However, my surgeon reassured me that it was caught at an early stage, which gave me hope,” she said.
Later, when she learned she had the most aggressive form of breast cancer, fear crept in again. “I became a ‘Google doctor’, which I don’t recommend but found hard to resist. My counsellor, who is also a Christian, was a huge help in guiding me to focus on the positive, rather than the fear and darkness that came with the diagnosis,” Smith said.
Journalling became her way to release emotions, and practising gratitude was a key part of that. In her journal, she countered every negative emotion, worry, doubt, and fear with scripture, reflecting on those words throughout the day.
Her outlook on life changed dramatically, and she now prioritises what truly matters. “God above all, and my family over career and everything else. I no longer feel the need to rush towards career achievements or wait for retirement to do something big. Many of us see now that not everyone makes it to retirement, so I believe in living fully today, laughing, smiling, appreciating life, and cherishing loved ones now. I give little to no time or energy to negativity or negative people,” Smith said.
Smith has chronicled her experience in a book titled Not My Will, but Yours Be Done: Activating Faith in Times of Sickness. The book is available on Amazon in both Kindle and print versions, and was released on October 3.
“It was one of the toughest books I have ever written, but it allowed me to not only share my testimony, but also to encourage other, especially Christians who have been afflicted in this way – to encourage others who are sick to relinquish control to God. The book isn’t just about surviving, it’s about thriving in the face of adversity. I explore how to seek God’s presence, trust His plan, and find peace even when the path is uncertain,” Smith said.
Breast cancer, she said, is not something you can just take a pill for, as it is a diagnosis that often brings fear, because it feels like death is looming. “I was in a position where I had no choice but to rely on God, not even on the doctors, because there is no definitive cure for cancer. Throughout the process, I had to trust God to guide the doctors. My biggest takeaway was realising that faith is not about what I want, but about God’s will,” Smith said.
English (US) ·