by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Ms. Bridgett Hendrickson, a native of St. Kitts and Nevis, shared her story of strength and courage in her fight against cancer during a video presentation spearheaded by the cancer institute at Hospital Serena del Mar.
Ms. Hendrickson travelled to Columbia to receive treatment at Hospital Serena del Mar for over a period of eight months. Ms. Hendrickson received treatment consisting of 33 sessions of radiotherapy and two applications of intravenous chemotherapy, said Dr. Angelina Alvarez-Oncological Radiotherapist.
Having had breast cancer before, Ms. Hendrickson said the treatment turned out to be much better than she anticipated.
“The time here has been really good. The treatment was much better than I anticipated. I had breast cancer before, but I didn’t have that type of treatment, so I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t want to look it up because I didn’t want to mess with my spirit in any way. So, it was just chemo in the veins for the first day and then not again until 29 days and I was like, “I think I’m in heaven.”
Ms. Hendrickson travelled to Columbia for treatment because the required method of treatment for her was not available in St. Kitts and Nevis. There, she met two doctors who encouraged her and helped her throughout the treatment process.
“We do not do radiation in St. Kitts at this time, so my doctor informed me that the chemotherapy and the radiation has to be done simultaneously. So, I came here not knowing what to expect, but when I arrived here, I met with two international ladies, Maria and Paula, “They were just awesome”. I just started to relax from the time I got in touch with those two women and I realised that my journey was going to be good.”
The cancer survivor said her last day of treatment was unlike any other day since her treatment started. Upon hearing the radiotherapist say her treatment was finished, she became overjoyed and began to dance.
“I thank everybody, all the teams who looked after me. I felt very welcomed from beginning to end. I thank everybody. Thank you all. Thank you” said Hendrickson.
Currently, Ms. Bridgett Hendrickon is back on island and is expected to visit the cancer institute at Hospital Serena del Mar for oncological follow-ups, according to Dr. Alvarez.
A social media post from the Hospital Serena del Mar states, “Thank you Bridgett for choosing us for your treatment and allowing us to be part of your success story today. At Hospital Serena del Mar, we are committed to offering comprehensive medical care under our philosophy of person-centred care, so that everyday, we can continue to give our patients hope and the possibility to continue following their dreams.”
