Until then I was clueless about the life that cancer patients lived despite the fact that I served as an enthusiastic volunteer to the Jamaica Cancer Society for many years. Never in my wildest dream did I think I would be diagnosed with Breast Cancer, at age 36, one year after having a baby. I wouldn’t lie, the first few days were difficult. The best way to describe my state of mind was numb. One minute you are living a normal life and the next you are a cancer patient. That transition can be difficult for many. My predominant recollection of the people around my life who were diagnosed with cancer was prolonged illness or death!

In addition, some of the people around me started to panic and in all fairness to them they to had negative experiences with Breast cancer. I was advised that I would not be able to do this and that, and chemotherapy is hard and I would not be able to do my show etc., etc.! I soon discovered that most of the advise I received was from people who never had cancer and who simply knew people who had it!

I also realized that your choice of treatment centre was  crucial for your mindset, as I was very blessed to have chosen the Baptist Health-South Miami Hospitals. When I walked into Dr. Gladys Giron’s office for the first type with my biopsy and mammogram results, and I looked into her eyes and she said to me, “you are going to be fine” I knew I was in the right place. She along with my other doctors, reconstructive surgeon Dr. Deirdre Marshall and Oncologist Dr. Mary Jo Villar, assured me that this is beatable and that made all the difference in the world. I felt certain that I had the best medical care. And most of all this is where I wanted to be. Mentally, I was in a good place, so much so, my husband and my cousin Dr. Sydelle Ross started to tease me by saying if Dr. Giron told me to eat from the garbage, I would oblige! It actually was not that bad, but I knew God knew my personality and he knew if my body had to be healed, it would be through my mind.  So qualified doctors with great bedside manners, was crucial.

I soon found out that the other group of people that would become invaluable is Survivors! I cannot tell you how much my survivor friends helped my through this very difficult journey with expert advise on how to handle chemotherapy, how to alkaline my body, what websites to access, what forms of complimentary medicine to utilize, my diet etc. The unfortunate thing is the majority of my survivor friends lived in the U.S. These ladies belonged to support groups that were kicking breast cancer.

Immediately I knew that this was my purpose, through our company, Basia Sports Foundation we could make a difference for women diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. I knew first hand how the advise I received from Survivors and the love I had from family and close friends made a difference in my life. I had two choices I could fight the good fight, receive the best medical care and talk to my survivor friends weekly and visit their support groups and keep it all to myself or I could form a dynamic survivor network that would be equal to theirs and pamper women in my country and in other parts of the Caribbean, while making a difference in the way they handle a cancer diagnosis and the way they fought it. How you decide to move on after a cancer diagnosis is key. Happiness is a choice in the same way that survival is, in the case of an early diagnosis.

The Basia Survivor Network, is for women with early diagnosis and a positive attitude! Patients and Survivors will meet weekly to explore issues affecting their lives. These sessions will be filled with numerous complimentary activities such as yoga, reflexology, dance, lectures and good old love and pampering. We will also partner with other Survivor groups around the world to make our women feel safe after a diagnosis and to maintain their happiness. In addition, through the assistance of our sponsor, Baptist Health South Miami, we would benefit from lectures from world-class doctors and surgeons. Most of all a committee will be set up to screen women who are in need of reconstructive cancer surgeries, but cannot afford it. Baptist Health-South Miami has agreed to fund these surgeries for a specific number of women through the Basia Survivor Network.

Our weekly sessions would take the form of happiness classes. Our mission is to remove the dark cloud that comes with a cancer diagnosis and to assist our cancer sisters to extract the positives from such a journey. I am living proof, that it is not all that bad. With unconditional love and support you can win the battle and that is what the Basia Survivor Network is all about. Enrollment is not automatic as candidates will have to complete an application form prior to final selection.

So much have changed in the last five years. However, we continue to be behind in infrastructure and mindset! Today, Basia Sports Foundation joins with Baptist Health South Miami to help our women beat breast Cancer. My husband and I have pledged to use our magazine and our very popular talk show as we make our way throughout the Caribbean to make a difference in the lives of women suffering with Breast and Ovarian cancer. Hopefully we will be able to reach them with our message that Breast cancer does have a cure and big part of that cure after your diagnosis is happiness.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your support  and I present to you The Basia Survivor Network.

Alicia John-Powell / Miss Basia