“The Devil Won’t Win”: SCA Teacher Rings Bell After Beating Cancer

In a moment filled with faith, resilience, and gratitude, a beloved educator from Saint Catherine Academy (SCA) rang the bell at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), marking the end of her cancer treatment and the beginning of a new chapter.

“This has been my second home,” she said tearfully. “These people here have been so good to me. I couldn’t have done it without this unit.”

Her strength was fuelled by faith and purpose. “Sometimes we might oversee that the challenges and the burdens, all the obstacles that you face may make you feel like you don’t have a purpose,” she said. “But with God, you know that there is a purpose. So you continue to fight even on the days that it’s so hard to get out of bed.”

Despite the physical and emotional toll of her journey, she remained committed to her calling as a teacher and mentor. “I try my very best to keep my routine of trying to be in contact with my students,” she shared. “I just want them to know that there’s nothing too tough in life if you have God with you.”

After her third round of chemotherapy, she admitted she was ready to give up, but her spirit refused to break. “I didn’t let the devil take over. The devil will not have the last say. And my God was powerful. My God kept his promise.”

She also praised the nurses and staff at KHMH for their compassion and care. “So many people complain about KHMH, but these people have really walked me through it from the very first day. Each nurse has gone above and beyond what they’re called to do.”

As she rang the bell three times, signalling the end of her treatment, her colleagues, students, and supporters stood in awe of her courage. “Janine is a warrior,” said her principal. “She powered through this on her low days. You couldn’t tell… She’s a true champion, a warrior, and an inspiration to our young ladies, to SCA, to Belize.”