The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter IN THE END, her body was defeated by cancer, but the disease never got the best of her spirit. Jennifer Bandoo-Wallace, endured almost six years with breast cancer as her constant companion. She described it as a "bulldozer" in her life. Even still, she found a way to love, laugh and be positive. On March 23rd her battle with cancer ended, after she was admitted to Doctor's Hospital for complications related to the disease. Friends and family, who mourned her passing, said she made the best out of her life of trial, and found happiness and peace. The Tribune sat down with Ms Bandoo-Wallace last year to speak about coping with stage four cancer. When the 44 year old shared her story it was with a joyous spirit. "It's not the quantity of the life that you live, it's the quality of that life. I have always been an upbeat, bubbly kind of person, that's my nature. Everybody has their high and low moments and fighting cancer is like that, you have your peaks and you have your valleys," said Ms Bandoo-Wallace. "It's really not easy, so any time you meet a cancer survivor, that person is someone to be admired and respected because that is not an easy battle," she said, last year. Her medical oncologist at the Cancer Center, Dr Nevein Girgis, told Tribune Religion, dealing with cancer is not an easy feat. Even though Ms Bandoo-Wallace experienced a lot of pain, few would even know. She was encouraging and beautiful inside and out, said Dr Girgis. "She had that personality where, when you meet her, you would fall in love with her. She was not just one of my patients, she was my close friend. We had a relationship, not only as physician and patient, but as friend to friend," she said. With her faith in God, Dr Girgis said Ms Bandoo-Wallace stayed strong and motivated at all times. "She would always say God allowed this to happen to her for a purpose in her life. She would come to the Cancer Center every two to three weeks and she was always the same, positive, asking me to just pray for her. She had some goals in her life that she wanted to finish, but in the end, she was ready," said Dr Girgis. Close friend, Shenique Ferguson, said she recalls spending a lot of time with Ms Bandoo-Wallace, sitting and talking. "She was really good at sharing her knowledge. She had more of a mothering spirit to me," said Ms Ferguson. "When she first got diagnosed with cancer, I had dinner with her and we were just sitting and chatting. I just sat and stared at her looking at how strong she was, and she was still happy regardless," she said. During her last year, Ms Ferguson said everyone really saw Ms Bandoo-Wallace's strength. "Even with her cancer, she still wanted to work. You could tell being around people is what kept her going. When you go by her house, even though she was sick or not feeling well, she would always get up to offer you something." She said Ms Bandoo-Wallace was a lover of shopping, so she enjoyed shopping for the finest things. Just three weeks ago, during a visit from her friend, Ms Bandoo-Wallace said: "Geesh all these people come to see me and I have on no make up," said Ms Ferguson. She always wanted to put her best self forward. With the support of family and friends by her side, Jennifer remained grounded in love until her passing.