Survivor of rare form of cancer, Francine Leitch uses her voice...
Survivor From 3A
you suffer weight loss, your blood cells are always up and down…your nail colour changes…your nerves get a little damaged so it is a lot of changes,” she shared.
Almost immediately after her last cycle, Leitch returned to university in September 2016 and she said she had a lot of support from her parents; her mother ensured that she had the right food to eat. She wore different head wraps to class, but being there was physically difficult as she did not have the stamina like before, and there were times when she broke down because “my body was not doing what it was supposed to do,” the cancer survivor said.
“The recovery was another journey but I would continuously have my checkups… and just have that support and over time my results kept coming out as being very good and then I was declared free of cancer as there is no sign of it anymore.”
As a cancer survivor, Leitch said it is a journey that is continuous. She still does her routine check-ups and there is always that anxiety and navigating the space of listening to her body and being cognisant of what she eats and does. Using her experience to help and educate others is also an important part of the journey and giving support where she can.
It was not until about three years after the treatment, Leitch said, that her body started to “feel completely healthy”.
While she feels better today, she is always mindful of her health. It is not clear what caused the cancer, but she said it was suspected that she had it since birth and it slowly progressed or might have been dormant and when her immunity went down it sprang to life.
No one is 100% sure but Leitch said it has been a learning experience for her and her family and now she is an advocate for healthy eating. She did lower her voice to say, however, “I do like my KFC and ice cream from time to time”.
Leitch and her family advise people who are going through the treatment journey and they would become more encouraged because she is a survivor.
“We just try to give support. I know there are persons who are in contact with my parents who don’t have that support system but they would reach out to them for advice, guidance. … It is still a huge part of our lives because I may not have been here and if I can’t do something tangible I just try to be a listening ear, give encouragement to persons when they feel they can’t go on,” she said.
She is open and shares her story because people look at it as a sickness or death sentence and they don’t want to talk about it but she believes the more people talk then there will be more education and awareness and it may save someone’s life.
Leitch completed her medical technology degree but switched gears and did further studies at the university. Today she works at GTT as a problem solver. But her science was an important part that helped to guide her through her diagnosis and treatment process and it is not something she has abandoned.
She reminds youths and older folks as well that health is wealth and for them to take care of their health and take advantage of the public service facilities available as early detection is always key. Be more “gracious and compassionate to yourself,” the young cancer survivor advises.