By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AN emotional bell-ringing ceremony at the Cancer Centre Bahamas turned into a powerful moment of joy and healing for American tourist LaTonya Jordan, who chose New Providence as the place to celebrate the end of her fight with breast cancer.

The 39-year-old mother of three, visiting from the US, rang the victory bell surrounded by tears, laughter, and applause after learning she was officially cancer-free.

Mrs Jordan was diagnosed with stage 3 HER2-positive breast cancer in December 2023, just five months after marrying her husband and completing her criminal justice degree. What should’ve been a time of new beginnings became a life-altering fight for survival.

Her treatment journey included six rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, 16 rounds of Herceptin, 28 sessions of radiation, and reconstructive surgery still underway.

Despite the diagnosis, Mrs Jordan stuck to a pre-planned trip to Japan, which she described as a spiritual act of reclaiming joy. And when the news of remission came, it was her sisters and loved ones who insisted they mark the milestone in The Bahamas, a country she had only visited once before briefly on a cruise.

“The Bahamas represents our light, our fresh start, our gratitude and the blessing of still being here together. It’s more than a getaway. It’s the declaration of life, love and resilience,” she said.

The moment, she added, was more than symbolic — it was deeply personal.

“Cancer changed me. It stripped me down and forced me to rebuild, piece by piece, prayer by prayer. I no longer fear the unknown because I’ve already survived what I once thought would kill me,” she said.

While her father died unexpectedly of brain cancer in 2014, genetic testing confirmed her own illness wasn’t hereditary.

She’s shared her experience publicly online, and since then, 38 families have reached out to her for support.

When she learned she was cancer-free, she sat in her car and cried, overwhelmed with relief and finally free from pain and the constant barrage of medical treatment.

Staff at the Cancer Centre honoured her moment with gifts and warm wishes. Though her husband couldn’t attend, she said he stood by her through every part of the journey.

The Ministry of Tourism also acknowledged her story, saying officials were honoured she chose The Bahamas to mark such a defining personal victory.