‘Not a death sentence’

BY the time Jacinth Peddy stepped onto the grounds of Police Officers’ Club in St Andrew for Relay For Life — a charity event dedicated to cancer fighters and survivors — last Saturday, she had already outrun a fate she once feared was inevitable.

Having lost both her parents and a younger sister to cancer before she herself was afflicted, when the Kingston woman was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2024, fear would have been understandable. But, instead, she chose to fight, casting away despair.

Through chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, Peddy refused to see her diagnosis as a death sentence.

“The mere fact that I wake up each morning out of my bed, I’m grateful and I’m just giving thanks. You know what? At the end of the day people will think that the moment you’re diagnosed with cancer, it’s a death sentence. I’m here to tell you that it’s not a death sentence — what you have to do when you’re diagnosed is just to be positive,” she told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview.

Peddy’s cancer journey began in late 2023 after doing a mammogram at the Jamaica Cancer Society which revealed an abnormality. Further tests confirmed what she knew was a possibility though she never expected to hear it confirmed.

“I took the report and I read it and went through it, and when I reached down to the bottom I saw stage two cancer and my whole world changed. My whole world just tumbled down on me. It’s a good thing I brought one of my friends to come with me to give me some support,” she explained to the Sunday Observer.

What followed was a whirlwind of doctors’ appointments, biopsies, and treatment plans. Peddy underwent six rounds of chemotherapy before electing to have a double mastectomy — even though the cancer was only present in one breast — which was a decision influenced, in part, by her family’s history with the disease.

The Mayo Clinic explains that a patient may opt to do a double mastectomy, which is the removal of both breasts, if the illness is prevalent in their family, placing them at higher risk for a relapse.

Despite the physical toll of treatment, she said she was determined not to be defined by the diagnosis.

“I’m not going to tell you that I’m perfect because my illness comes with different shortcomings. This is an illness that sometimes I get very tired, I get irritable…so I’m not perfect.

“And we do have our drawbacks, our little ins and outs, our little up days and down days. But, I try to get myself involved so I work out. I work [in] downtown [Kingston], so after I eat my lunch I go down the road, and I walk up and down and just clear my mind. I read. I watch TV. I just try to get myself involved,” she explained.

That outlook, coupled with the support of family, friends and fellow survivors, became one of her greatest sources of strength. Her son and his father stood by her throughout treatment while neighbours rallied around her when chemotherapy left her too weak to care for herself.

Silma Thompson at the 2025 staging of the Relay for Life charity event

Peddy, who celebrated her 60th birthday on June 9, describes herself as a different woman from who she was before being diagnosed with breast cancer.

“You don’t really have any time to sink yourself into depression and have a pity party. That’s not acceptable — and from day one I told myself that that was not going to happen to me. I still look at my breasts and look at the scars…but I don’t worry about it anymore…I’m grateful for life,” she said.

That sense of gratitude, she said, is why she’s an avid supporter and participant in the Relay for Life charity event at which survivors, caregivers, and supporters gather annually, not only to raise funds and awareness about cancer care but also to celebrate resilience and remember loved ones lost to the disease.

“Last year was my first time attending. I’m part of the Reach to Recovery [team] so I have to be there. It’s a time of remembrance — especially for persons who have gone through the journey and persons who have lost their loved ones along the way — so it’s like a remembrance and also a celebration, that is it for me,” said Peddy.

The event was also significant for breast cancer survivor Silma Thompson who explained that although she was unable to attend this year’s staging of Relay for Life, its message resonated deeply with survivors like herself who understand the value of support, hope, and early detection.

Relay For Life, usually held at a location with a track, allows for teams of 10 to 15 people from corporations, hospitals, civic groups, churches, and families, to take turns walking in relay fashion. One team member at a time walks, jogs or runs around the track throughout the six or 12- to 15-hour duration of the event.

“I was there last year. To me, to see a lot of young people in the same situation that I am, and also the older people, some of them having survived this thing for over 30 years. It’s so awesome to witness,” she said.

Her cancer journey began in 2022 after she discovered a lump in her breast. Like Peddy, Thompson refused to allow fear to consume her. After being diagnosed with stage two cancer, Thompson underwent surgery and chemotherapy while heavily relying on her faith and the support of her family, friends and co-workers to carry her through treatment.

She said her husband, children and colleagues rallied around her throughout the ordeal, helping her maintain a positive outlook even on the most difficult days.

She remembers waking up on the morning of her surgery feeling determined rather than defeated.

“Everybody was proud of me to see how I coped with it because I wasn’t worried or anything. And one of the survivors in the recovery group, she motivated me when I heard her story before I even mentioned it to the doctor about the lump. I saw her interview on TV and I was like, ‘She’s beautiful,’ and then I heard her say, ‘It’s not a death sentence.’ When I found out that I had it, that stuck with me,” she said.

Coming out victorious after battling the dreaded disease, Thompson’s message to others who may be fighting a struggle similar to hers is one filled with hope: “It’s not a death sentence and life goes on — and with God, anything is possible.”