Junelle Rodriguez was indeed a superhero who fought a formidable enemy: metastatic breast cancer. She would show up for treatment dressed as Wonder Woman or Batgirl and share it on Facebook. The internet lit up with comments when she sent out one of her witty posts. Junelle was determined to beat this leviathan, so the superhero metaphor was perfect to describe her attitude, strength, and power.
Her friends and mentors in the Link of Hope Sistas support group embraced her and her sparkle and sass from the moment she first walked in the door. Junelle lit up the room. We first met her at age 36, just after she was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer. It seemed so unfair that she, with all her youth, intelligence, beauty and energy, could even be ill. Her long dark brown hair flowed over her shoulders. Her smile was dazzling. She made us laugh with her quips and tales. She was a joy to all of us. We forged strong friendships and tried to answer many of the questions and concerns. Some of us spoke to her almost daily.
Throughout her chemo treatments and her surgery, we cheered her on, convinced that this young, beautiful woman could win the fight. Our friendships deepened as together we faced the same enemy. We met to dine, enjoy happy hour or just to chat. We shared with Junelle many positive thoughts, and our own experiences with the same foe, breast cancer.
Always the caregiver to her family, friends, and 3 loving dogs, Junelle continued to give so much of herself to those around her throughout her battle with cancer. Her relationships with them deepened as they in turn cared for her during treatment. To her brothers, she was the best big sister- always supportive of us, encouraging the best in us and giving us guidance from her own experiences. To her mom and dad, she was a daughter they were deeply proud of and also looked up to.
Junelle was committed to beating her cancer and getting well so she could enjoy her life, pursue her goals and fulfill her dream of going to Paris. When she learned that the cancer had metastasized to her liver, she posted on Facebook “God gives us only what we can handle. Apparently God thinks I am a bad-ass.” She understood the serious challenge of a Stage IV diagnosis but gave every effort to confront it, posting, “I am not a superhero. I am a survivor of metastatic breast cancer. I am a METAvivor.” Despite her bravery and courage, complications developed that she could not overcome. After a nine-month battle, Junelle passed away quietly and peacefully in her home 4 weeks after her diagnosis of liver metastasis.
The METAvivor reference is to a charity she admired, which uses 100% of its donations to finance research for a cure for metastatic breast cancer. Her family and Link of Hope Sistas have now set up the Junelle Rodriguez Memorial Fund at METAvivor to enable friends to make donations in her honor and memory.
