From cancer-stricken to computer scientist

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 16-year-old Ardenne High School student Katelyn Tait was diagnosed with cancer - stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.

Come November 2026, a mere five years later, she will graduate from The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science.

Her journey proves that positive outcomes are possible after persons have been diagnosed with life-threatening diseases.

Her journey also reflects the opportunities that people can be blessed with even as they face difficulties, and how positives can replace negatives.

Classes were being held online due to the lockdown, and Tait had spent weeks at home studying as the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations drew near.

“My mother saw a lump in my neck. [We] went to the doctor immediately, and from then it was a series of doctor’s appointments, surgeries and then treatment. I did CT scans that showed more lumps in my chest area and under my arms,” Tait told The Gleaner.

The realisation that she had cancer hit her hard.

“I was devastated because my grandmother had passed from cancer, so I was like, ‘Is it what’s going to happen to me?’ But the doctor was like, ‘No, no, we don’t have to get there yet. Let’s do the treatment and see where it goes.’”

Tait was placed in Dr Michelle Reece-Mills’ portfolio of patients and with the doctor’s connection with Moon Palace and the hotel’s Dream Weekend initiative, Tait was fortunate to end up on the Dream Weekend programme.

“So, myself and my parents came down for the weekend, and that’s where I was informed of the Moon Palace Foundation scholarships. I applied and was successful.

“The scholarship is for tertiary education, and I’m now in my final year at UWI Mona doing computer science. I have to keep up with some requirements; I have to do some work with the foundation, as well as keep up my GPA. So as long as I do that, I’ll be on the scholarship until I finish, next year November. That’s how I’m on the programme now as a chaperone, because I have to give back to my community by doing hours with the foundation.”

As chaperone, Tait assisted the children with cancer, and their families, as they spent a complimentary weekend at Moon Palace.

Just a few short years before, she was one of those kids with cancer, who along with their families enjoyed the same privilege.

After her weekend back in 2022, Tait returned to the hospital and completed chemotherapy and radiation within nine months.

“Since then it’s been great, I can’t complain. I just do my follow-ups, and my check-ups have been good. Then, when I reach 25, I have to start screening for breast cancer.”

Impacts hundreds of students

General Manager of the Moon Palace Foundation, Natalie Boreland, expressed delight that Tait has been able to return to where it started for her.

“The foundation provides scholarships for persons who are doing their tertiary education at schools in Jamaica and Cuba,” Boreland said.

“Katelyn was one of the Dream recipients, probably three years ago, and at the time when she came I think she was just getting into UWI because she’s a (cancer) survivor. She wanted to do her degree, she wanted to get into computer science. So we encouraged her and invited her to apply (for a scholarship), which she did, and one of the scholarships was offered to her. So this is her second year with us as a scholarship recipient.”

The scholarship programme has been in place since Moon Palace opened in 2016 and has impacted hundreds of students, including some who are deaf.

“This year we have 39 persons on our scholarship programme, three are in Cuba studying medicine, and we now also pay the boarding for 12 deaf students that are with the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf,” Boreland informed.

She added: “Apart from the three who are in Cuba studying medicine, we have one that just graduated and is doing his internship here in Jamaica, so we’re very proud of the programme.”

Carl Gilchrist