Twenty years ago, when Patricia Tikasingh was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, many believed she was at death's door.
Tikasingh was already past 40 and seeing herself as a cancer survivor from the moment of diagnosis, she embarked on a path to make herself qualified. She pursued a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Diploma in Social Work and Counselling from The University of the West Indies, knowing that the rest of her life would be devoted to helping others.
It was this which led her to the formation of the Smara Cancer Support Group in 2010.
In an interview with the T&T Guardian, Tikasingh said while she was undergoing cancer treatment at the National Radiotherapy Centre in St James in 1998, she realised she did not have the help she needed.
"As a cancer patient you feel hopeless and you need to reach out to people who understand what you are going through. The cost and burden of cancer care is very expensive. It impacted on me and I felt a desire to form a group that would provide real help to people," Tikasingh said.
At the time, the National Radiotherapy Centre was the only institution offering services to cancer patients and Tikasingh said it was heart-wrenching to see young children being treated for cancer.
During her bouts of hopelessness, she realised that many groups were raising money for cancer but it was never reaching the ones who genuinely needed help.
With the formation of Smara, Tikasingh said she was able to give support, counselling, assistance with medication, transport and peer counselling to hundreds of people. She said her qualifications offered her the opportunity to become a patient care coordinator and counsellor at the Southern Medical Oncology Centre. Leaving her job as a teacher at the St Peter's Private School to work with cancer survivors became Tikasingh's calling. However, she said although her job at the centre put her in contact with cancer survivors who had the ability to afford private medical care, her organisation also catered for the underprivileged.
"We have about 60 members, half of whom are active members. In our group it doesn't matter if you can afford or not, everyone gets help. Patients from the hospital can come to us, those who cannot afford can get help and those who can afford will offer help," she said.
Tikasingh said apart from the private cancer patients, she has also reached out to patients from community health centres.
Although cancer care has improved in recent times, Tikasingh said the delays in the system need to be addressed.
"Cancer is a disease that demands quick care once you are diagnosed. Cancer care in the public sector is not a bad one, because many persons who cannot afford private care are still able to access medication in the public sector. However, we need to upgrade in terms of making the facilities into the 21st century," she said.
She also explained that it takes too long to do biopsies and CT scans.
"A CT scan report takes six weeks and all this time the cancer is growing. A biopsy takes six to eight weeks. This is unacceptable. In terms of availability of medication, it is not bad but it could improve," Tikasingh said.
She also said that the T&T Oncology Centre must be established soon.
"I have always felt that the Couva Children's Hospital should have become the National Oncology Centre. It is centrally located and the Oncology Centre, although it was promised, has not come on stream yet," she said.
She also said there was a need for cancer survivors to mentor each other.
Despite having the Cancer Research Centre, Tikasingh said cancer education must also start in the nation's schools. She said people still have a fear of cancer screening and women need to do their pap smears and self-breast and clinical breast exams on an annual basis.