Brain cancer fighter seeks life-saving treatment

Less than a year after she was declared to be in remission, a Jamaican mother of two is facing stage four cancer after the disease returned and spread to her brain and lungs.

Her family is now seeking public support to help fund treatment abroad. Melissa Bernard-Hines was first diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2023. What she believed would be an early stage diagnosis quickly escalated into an aggressive battle requiring months of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and targeted therapy. She was declared to be in remission in 2024, but routine follow-up testing later that year revealed that the cancer had returned and metastasised.

"I had just begun to learn how to breathe again after the first fight," she said. "I was ready to write the next chapters of my life with purpose and passion. Hearing that it was back felt cruel and surreal."

When she learnt the cancer had spread, Bernard-Hines said her thoughts went immediately to her family.

"My children and my husband were my first thoughts," she told THE STAR. "Their faces flashed in my mind, and I felt this deep ache at the idea of them growing up without me."

She has two sons, Nathan, 12, and Ethan, eight, who she described as being brave beyond their years. Despite the uncertainty surrounding her health, she said their resilience has become a source of both pain and healing. She said her sons continue to laugh, dream, and pray, often hugging her tighter as they try to understand what she is facing.

"I woke up today choosing hope even when fear is screaming louder than ever," she said.

She explained that while her faith has helped ground her emotionally, it is her children who keep her fighting.

"Fighting is my way of loving them out loud," she told THE STAR. "It's refusing to give up on the moments we haven't had yet, the ordinary days that mean everything."

Beyond the emotional toll, Bernard-Hines said the aftermath of her first round of treatment left scars that are often unseen. She described the loneliness that follows treatment as one of the most difficult aspects of the journey.

"That's when the weight settles, not just mentally, but physically and emotionally."

The first battle, she explained, also came at a steep financial cost. The family depleted its savings, sold assets, cashed out insurance policies, and took on debt to cover medical expenses. When treatment ended, there was little left to fall back on.

"Nobody ever speaks about the strain after 'winning' the battle," she said. "The physical, emotional, social, and financial scars that linger long after treatment ends."

Recurrent and advanced cancers often require complex and costly treatment options, many of which are not fully covered by insurance, leaving families financially vulnerable even after remission. Now facing stage four cancer, Bernard-Hines is seeking treatment at Sanoviv Medical Institute in Mexico, an integrative medical hospital that combines conventional oncology with immunotherapy and whole-body care.

"What gave me confidence in this approach is that it treats me as a whole person not just a diagnosis," she said. "After everything I've been through, that matters deeply."

The cost of treatment and associated medical care is estimated at approximately US$100,000 (approximately J$15.7 million). According to the family, the funds are intended to cover treatment, medical supervision, and aftercare not covered by insurance. The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign and is also accepting donations through a local bank account.

Before cancer, Bernard-Hines described her life as busy and full, caring for her children, supporting her husband, assisting her parents, and mentoring children in her community. She said her experience has deepened her compassion for others quietly facing similar battles without adequate support.

"I want to bring awareness to those who are fighting without the resources or community I've been blessed with," she said. "If people show up for me, I pray they also show up for others."

Persons wishing to assist Melissa Bernard-Hines may donate to her GoFundMe account at https://gofund.me./c00c1dda3 or Scotiabank, Scotia Centre branch, account #000907253.