June-Ann Furbert thought she was doing everything right when it came to her health.
Cancer had taken her mother and aunts, so she understood the importance of keeping a close watch on her own wellbeing.
As such, the diagnosis she received in 2014 came as a surprise: stage 3 aggressive breast cancer.
“It was shocking. And it was shocking because I thought I was doing all the right things,” Mrs Furbert said.
Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre was a huge source of support as she underwent surgery in Bermuda and spent several weeks being treated at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Her Christian faith was equally important in helping Mrs Furbert, 76, come to terms with what lay ahead.
“I was devastated, but with the word of God, because of my belief, it helped me get through it.”
Her family, friends and church community rallied around her. One friend in Baltimore, Vanessa Moore, visited her at Johns Hopkins every single day.
“She spent those whole six to eight weeks with me out there in the hospital,” Mrs Furbert said. “Literally coming every day just to be my friend, just to be there for me.”
Another close friend, Janet Smith, was also by her side. Mrs Furbert finds it particularly poignant t...