Belizean Leaders Turn Cancer Battles into Stories of Strength

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that means communities everywhere are coming together to raise funds, share knowledge, and support those in the fight. It’s about breaking stigma, detecting cancer early, and making sure treatment is within reach. But awareness doesn’t stop when the calendar flips. Across Belize, hundreds of patients are battling cancer every single day, each with a story of courage and resilience. Tonight, in this week’s edition of Belize on Reel, we shine a light on some of these incredible survivors and the strength it takes to keep going. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more.

 

Valerie Woods, Cancer Survivor

“Ring this bell three times well, it’s told to clearly say, My treatment’s done. This course is run and I am on my way.”

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Cancer can change everything with one diagnosis and hundreds of Belizeans face that reality every year. Last November, Speaker of the House Valerie Woods revealed she had breast cancer. Today, nearly a year later, she’s rung the bell marking the end of treatment, a powerful symbol of hope. Another inspiring story is Kim Simplis-Barrow, diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2011. Fourteen years later, she’s in remission and leading the Belize Cancer Society, using her experience to guide others through the fight.

 

Kim Simplis-Barrow, Cancer Survivor

“I recall going through my six sessions of chemotherapy and radiation, And through my radiation I suffered heart failure. Where my heart was functioning at barely nine percent, As I think back to it, I often say to people and those who are going through it now. we should be so thankful for the advancement of medication, I say fourteen years because fourteen years ago, the medication was still harsh.”

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when people around the world rally for early detection, better treatment, and support for those in the fight. It’s a movement that reminds women and girls to stand together and keep pushing forward. But here in Belize, breast cancer isn’t the only battle being fought. In July 2024, beloved pediatrician Dr. Cecilio Eck got life-changing news, stage four biliary tract cancer. He shares how everything stopped the moment he heard that diagnosis.

 

Dr. Cecilio Eck, Cancer Survivor

“What I usually tell my patients when they come in is that for two years, or the parents of my patients, I tell them. Your life will go on pause for two years for you to take care of your baby. And that is what I was thinking, going home, meaning that at this point in time, the whole life that I have lived, surviving COVID, getting back to walking after being unable to walk after COVID, going back to work, all of that has to go on pause now to deal with this new issue.”

 

Beyond the physical toll of treatment, there’s another heavy burden: financial strain. Eck explains that his treatment cost twenty-five thousand dollars every three weeks. As president of the Belize Cancer Society, Barrow witnesses firsthand the struggles people face in affording treatment. Having undergone the journey herself, she offers support with genuine empathy.

 

Kim Simplis-Barrow

“You know having walked this journey, you have a sense of empathy. You know it’s not easy and you try to do everything to support others. The financial burdern of cancer is so high in Belize. We see it every day, the request for funding from people we know can oay for their scans can’t het their treatment. SO we try our best to help in whatever way.”

 

For Dr. Eck, his journey has been humbling, and he is touched by every person that has opened their hearts and wallets to support his treatment. To him, it’s a reminder that there is power in community.

 

Dr. Cecilio Eck

“As you know, this is not a cheap initiative. It’s pretty financially intensive. You need a lot of money to get the proper treatment. And it’s humbling. It was humbling. It still is humbling for me that so many people in the community, so many of my friends, my colleagues people that I didn’t know I have impacted or influence came and gave freely. And the ones that touch me the most are my patients and my little babies would come. I have a good friend who sold avocados and brought his little can with money. And it’s the thought and the prayers.”

 

The journey to recovery is far from over, and remission doesn’t guarantee being cancer-free. Yet, through resilience and the strength of community support, survivors can rediscover their courage and continue moving forward. Britney Gordon for News Five.