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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 19th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2016> Fighter against Cancer in Belize—Kim Simplis Barrow
Fighter against Cancer in Belize—Kim Simplis Barrow
[Parlay the fight against cancer into campaigns, Improve the well-being of the Disadvantaged groups.]
External beauty will not last long. Good looks will go as time passes. Only internal beauty can stand the test of time. What appeals to your beloved one is not the appearance but the true you.
--Barrow
Michelle Obama of Central America
Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, the wife of the Prime Minister of Belize, a country by the         Caribbean Sea. She was appointed as the Special Envoy for Women and Children, the Global Ambassador by Special Olympics International and the Director of Lifeline Foundation. Having been committed to improve the welfare and well-being of women, children and disadvantaged groups in Belize, she has won respect and support from her people, and was also reputed as Michelle Obama of Central America by international media. She played a significant role in Dean Barrow’s political cause.
        Kim Barrow was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in November 2011. Chemotherapy treatment and surgeries have caused severe adverse effects. Her hair had fallen out. She also suffered cardiac failure with only 30% normally functioning.
        Kim Barrow demonstrated impressive courage and willpower. During the break of treatment, she endeavored to raise fund for the Inspiration Center. Instead of being sick and desperate, she was courageous and tough, which has touched the Belizeans. Having completed her treatments, she is now in good health.
        Thanks to her devotion to the well-being of Belizean people and welfare of the disadvantaged groups, courage to overcome adversities and the triumph over cancer, Kim Barrow deserves the title of “fighter against cancer”. Among the 2459 nominees for the medal, Kim Simplis Barrow has been award the 19th Global Fervent Love of Lives Medal by the Chou Ta-kuan Foundation.
Real Life is the Truest
        In 2008, Dean Barrow embraced the peak of his life and became the Prime Minister of Belize. "Being the prime minister is not that extraordinary. It will become bygones, and real life is the truest." First Lady Kim Barrow smiled a brilliant smile. However, people can be elegant in favorable circumstances. But can they be that elegant in the face of adversities or death?
Kim more Renowned than Michelle
I have known Kim Barrow for many years.
        The first time I saw her, I was stunned by her beautiful facial features and noble qualities. At that time, at the invitation of the Embassy of the Republic of China, I performed solo of the National Anthem of the Republic of China in the National Day cocktail party to kick off the state banquet. She sat in the first row and beside Dean Barrow, the leader of the opposition party. She was in a diamond-studded evening dress, displaying her good posture of perfect proportion and exuding the grace of a peerless beauty. Later, I often met her by chance on different occasions. Her elegance and the model stature of more than 180cm always made her the focus of others.
        In 2008, the opposition party UDP (United Democratic Party) of Belize overwhelmingly won the election. Dean Barrow gained the ruling power from the Lebanese Prime Minister Musa and honorably became the first black Prime Minister since the founding of Belize. Kim Barrow, at the age of over 30 only, also became the most beautiful and youngest first lady since the independence of Belize!
        In the same year, Obama won the US presidential election and became the first black president in the White House. At the luncheon celebrating the successful election of Obama, brilliant Kim Barrow was immediately sought after by the guests and media of all countries. They affectionately called her: Michelle Obama of Belize! This is because both ladies are tall, black, intellectuals, extremely intelligent and the new first ladies!
        The difference is that although Belize is a small country in Central America with only three million people, Kim Barrow was more renowned than Michelle. She appeared on the cover of "American Way Magazine", the magazine of American Air Lines. Besides, Britain's most well-known online magazine "ComplexD" also selected her as the cover and produced extensive report about her. What is on earth the charm of this glamorous first lady? What are the stories behind her resolute and gentle smile?
Poor Childhood, Cherished Happy Hour
        Kim Barrow grew up in a poor police family in Cayo District of Belize. At that time, Belize was not an independent country, called the "British Honduras" and a British colony. The ancestors of almost all blacks in Caribbean region were African slaves. Hundreds of years ago, they were ruthlessly sold by traffickers to the Caribbean islands, and became the salves who logged and grew sucrose and cotton. They humbly but tenaciously and bravely survived in the hostile environment of slavery, disease and hunger.
        In 1981, Belize finally broke through the shackles of British colonization of over two hundred years, and became independent! But a thousand things waited to be done. After excessive extortion of power, Belize, aside from dilapidated homes, was confronted with poor and helpless people who were in serious shortage of supplies. That year, Kim Barrow was less than ten years old!
        Fortunately, Kim Barrow had many relatives. They live together in the mountains of Cayo District and helped each other to get through the difficulties in life. In her memory, even survival became an enormous challenge.
Kim Barrow was the third child among six. Since there were many children in the family, her mother did not work and his father's salaries were low, she suffered hardship since she was little. She, as a mature girl, was aware that only by studying hard could she stand out some day! She also made a secret wish that some day, she would help the impoverished children in remote areas.
        In her childhood, she did not have toys and the food was exceedingly insufficient. As long as she had some plain food, she would feel very satisfied. Difficult as life was, it was the happy hour which she most cherishes in days to come. Due to lack of supplies, everyone was very simple and did not have great desire. Back then, she often followed the neighbors and invited her friends to attend the Sunday School run by the Anglican Church, singing songs and listening to stories in church. Besides, they swam in the Macal River after school. The golden sunlight, the white sandbar silhouetted against the clear water also witnessed her memorable rustic years. She smiled and said, "I do not know how I mastered swimming. When it was hot, we ran towards the river for refreshing and swimming, and caught fish home." 
Life of Keeping Fighting, Never Give up
        However, although she played, she was diligent and never forgot that only by studying hard could she get rid of poverty and improve life. Therefore, she aspired to be a lawyer, who can help the poor and uphold justice!
        At school, she came out in front. The Sacred Heart High School she attended was a well-known local church school, but could not help her achieve her wish of majoring in law at university – since her family was so poor that her parents could not afford the immense tuition, she must pray to God to reserve scholarship for her!
        At that time, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, Canada and other countries would provide one or two full scholarships to poor children in Belize each year. Yet, the quota was limited, whereas the applicants were numerous. Therefore, these children always had to wait for a couple of years before they could study abroad.
        When she graduated from high school, she could not win the scholarships, because the previous year's graduates were waiting in line before her.
 "In the year when I waited for the scholarship, I first served as an employee in the Beiermobang Tourism Bureau", she recalls. This was because at least she could save some money and supported her families. She was ambitious and enterprising, fought for her life and future and was convinced that God would not abandon her!
        The next year, she was finally awarded a scholarship, but the major assigned was tourist hotel management in Mexico. "Whether should I attend the university? I struggled for a long time. What I really wanted to major in was law, but there was no scholarship for the law department in the year when I graduated. After having waited for one year, what I waited for was not the department I desired". She was extremely disappointed, but this was the only opportunity for her to continue her studies. "I have no other choice! At that time, I just felt that God seemed to play a joke on me!" 
        Later, she made her mind to attend the university! At least this choice was better than dropout. Isn't there a saying that all roads lead to Rome? Moreover, God helps those who help themselves. God must have his plan for such arrangement! She had no time to hesitate, because she would have to face a graver problem than the selection of department ── she could not speak Spanish! She, who did not read a Spanish book before 18, had to immediately shift the language and read Spanish books after crossing the border? She could not give a second thought.
        Mexico is a Spanish-speaking country, so she had to speak Spanish if attending universities in Spain! Belize had also been colonized by Spain, but almost most blacks could not speak Spanish. What they more often used in their race was – Creole similar to English. Even though she had learned some simple Spanish at high school, it was impossible for her to handle the esoteric Spanish books. She knew that she must independently face the first greatest challenge in her life!
 "In the first three years at university, I did not go anywhere nor see a movie nor have any entertainment." She lived a foreign country on her own without friends, and was a little shy and aloof with strong self-esteem. Every day, she traveled back and forth school and dormitory. Study was her only priority! She would spend summer and winter vacations and national holidays alone in the dormitory, since she did not have money or time to play! She was keenly aware that she only had these four years. Whether she studied well in these four years was of great importance to her future and destiny. She did not want to yield to the environment, nor did she want to be defeated. Instead, she desired to succeed, but she wanted to return to her beloved motherland, to serve and improve the lives of the poor!
Devote to Family and Public Welfare at the Height of Career
        Upon graduation from university, she returned to Belize and served in a resort hotel in Cayo District. One year later, she acted as a manager at the largest Feasta Inn in Belize. Then, her Spanish was very fluent. Besides, she was intelligent and highly diplomatic, and could handle everything appropriately. Soon she was spotted by her former Mexico employer. Standing out from the managers of the hotel chains, she was appointed to Cancun, a resort only second to Paris, in the West Bank of Mexico. There, she was responsible for the hotel chain business of a resort Cozumel near Cancun. Cancun and Cozumel are under the jurisdiction of Quintana Roo in the West Bank of Mexico. Cancun is an affluent state entirely dependent on the development of tourism industry. It is geographically advantageous since it is situated in the neck of Caribbean. The tax paid by this state to the central government almost accounted for half of the total revenues of Mexico.
        At the height of her career, she met the current Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who was still a lawyer then, was rising from the opposite party and the future successor to party leader! Her beauty, intelligences, capacity, elegant style of conversation and temperament hugely attracted Dean Barrow. So he pursued her fervently, but she chose further study in Mexico.
        She spent only a year to obtain a master's degree in tourist hotel management. Later, she went to Miami, USA, to continue to pursue international public relations and acquired her second master's degree. With double master's degrees, she applied for the head of Belize's Tourism Bureau.
        "Since I have my own dreams, I do not want to be a shadow or vase behind any man! Also, I do not want to be an accessory. I am who I am and only want to be what I want to be!" When asked why she did not immediately respond to the pursuit of Dean Barrow but retired to study abroad, Kim Barrow displayed a stubborn, resolute look. However, eventually she was overwhelmed by aggressive pursuit of Dean Barrow and gave birth to a lovely daughter after marriage. At that time, she completely retired from the gorgeous tourism workplace, and was ready to start fulfilling the wishes she made when she was little – to help poor children and women.
        In 2005, she, in the name of "Women and Children Goodwill Ambassador", established the Lifeline Foundation which was dedicated to caring vulnerable women, women suffering domestic violence and helping poor children in remote areas. Every year, she traveled to different places, visited remote and backward areas, raised funds, supplied free lunch to impoverished children in poor areas and built classrooms and toilets.
From the First Lady to a Cancer Patient
        In 2008, Dean Barrow embraced the peak of his life and became the Prime Minister of Belize, and Kim Barrow became the first lady. This role shift did not affect her life at all. She still loved buying food in the supermarket, cooked dinner and did not hire a driver. Even the housework was almost done on her own. Besides, she picked up her daughter herself.
 "Being the prime minister is not that extraordinary. He just changes his office and work. Several years later, he will end his service and return to normal life. For me, he is a lawyer and a husband!" She smiled dazzlingly, "Those are transient and will become bygones, and real life is the truest." Like me, I am just a wife and mother. Ordinary life is the most normal life." 
        Yes, people can be elegant in favorable circumstances. But can they be that elegant in the face of adversities or death?
In October 2011, she was faced up with the toughest test of her life – she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, and the cancer had spread! For her, this was like a bolt from the blue.
        According to the tracking and statistics of the American Cancer Society, regarding the life expectancy of 5 years, the survival rate of Stage 1 breast cancer patients was almost 100%, that of Stage 2 breast cancer patients dropped to 85 to 92%, that of Stage 3 breast cancer patients was only 56 to 67%, and that of Stage 4 breast cancer patients was the lowest, with only 20% chance of survival.
        Kim Barrow did not understand why she developed cancer since she did not smoke, drink, took normal rest and regular exercise every day, and had a healthy diet. Worse still, when she was diagnosed with cancer, the cancer had spread to her left arm and chest lymph! She was 39 years old. If lumps were not found by her self-examination, it would be much later for her to find the cancer according to her routine annual physical examination time.
        Panic, fear, sadness and helplessness thoroughly overwhelmed her! How to handle this? She was completely lost and confused. She tearfully asked God, was she really going to die? Was there a chance for her recovery? Could the spread cancer be controlled? She felt as if she had been sentenced to death! As a matter of fact, she was not afraid of death, but she could not wait for death! She still had her husband and her daughter. During this period, how should she face them every day!
        Especially when her seven-year-old daughter asked apprehensively: "Mummy! Are you really going to die?" She completely collapsed! How was she willing to let her little daughter to suffer with her? Life was so wonderful, and she was not ready to face death! There were a lot of things she did not complete. The Lifeline Foundation was set up for three years only. As a Women and Children Goodwill Ambassador, how could she halt this cause now? She did not believe that her life would end in this way, and she almost cried in despair.
        In her most painful time, a force spontaneously arose as if a drowning man seized the rope! She suddenly realized that yes, though life was not in her hands, it was in God's hands!
        With this in mind, she suddenly grew relaxed, as if a glimmer of light and hope fell into the dark life – yes Life was in God's hands! She did not need to worry about her life at all! Rather, she only needed to leave herself to God and let God decide everything! God makes amazing arrangements in everyone's life. Therefore, her responsibility was to obey, accept, do the right thing and live out her proper image!
Bravely Face Disease, Touching Encounter between the Bald
        With this in mind, she was completely calm and determined to bravely accept this test of life! She wanted to fight with cancer! Her work was not ended, and she did not want to chicken out and give up. She wanted to continue advancing her Lifeline Foundation.
        Thus, she flew to Miami, the United States. She started to accept the arrangements of the medical team. From the removal of the breast and elimination of spread lymph nodes to 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 rounds of radiotherapy, she was fearless and faced them calmly. She remembered the Bible's Psalm once read, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Yes, she was not afraid at all, since she knew that many people prayed for her each day back in the hometown of Belize!
        In early 2012, she returned to Belize. After a series of surgeries, she was slightly haggard. Although she would receive follow-up course of treatment and the cancer cells disappeared from her body, her beautiful thick hair had all gone and she became bald.
 "I was struggling whether I needed to wear a wig because of my bare head? I did not care how others think about me, but I was concerned that I would frighten my daughter and that she would feel very embarrassed." She said, "Before returning to Belize, I had prepared a wig. I did not wear it, but I must take into account her feelings in front of her classmates." 
        After seeing the wig she bought, unexpectedly, her daughter said: "Mummy! I don't think you need a wig, since you are still very beautiful even if you are bald!" 
        With the support of her daughter, she decided to meet people and attend all public occasions in bare head! Her brave act shocked the nation, and also touched those who were concerned about her! What's more, students at the University of Belize, to express their support and respect for her, voluntarily initiated a "Baldmiration" on March 19 on campus. The participating male and female students shaved their hair on that day. They were proud of the first lady, while in this way, they wanted to encourage the cancer patients who lost all their hair due to treatment and felt ashamed to meet people.
        After having learned the news, the principal of St. Catherine Academy also bravely stepped forward because of this event. What was shocking is that she took off the wig which she wore for nearly 20 years in front of the media, excitedly stating that "more than ten years ago, I lost all my hair due to cancer treatment. I was terribly afraid, so I was not courageous enough to meet people in bald head. Yet, today, I decide to take off the wig!" 
        The media praised and appreciated her new bald head. This is really a touching and beautiful encounter – a bald woman who beat cancer helped another bald woman who wore a wig for nearly twenty years! Perhaps, there are more bald people we do not know.
Walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
        It has been nearly three and a half years since Kim Barrow was diagnosed with breast and cured it. At present, she is recovering well and pays visits to the hospital on a regular basis. The Lifeline Foundation helps vulnerable women, women suffering domestic violence and poor children. The work of resisting underage prostitutes is also normally conducted.
        In her fight for life, it was once said that Kim Barrow experienced pleural effusion and severe heart failure, and almost lost her heartbeat.
She survived. After having come back from the United States, she was not covered by the media for a long time. Until the summer vacation, she was again cheerful on the public occasion. Everybody was relieved, feeling happy for her and cheering for her!
        She was asked what was her idea about beautiful appearance? "Beautiful appearance is not eternal. A woman's beautiful face will fade as time goes by. Only the true inner depth can be kept forever", she answered. She smiled the sweetest smile, "What really attracts your lover is not your appearance but yourself!" 
        Indeed, the beauty of life does not necessarily lie in its appearance or value. The reason why so many lives are beautiful is their connotation and glory, courage and spirit, noble ideals and unchanged sentiment as well as the warmth, energy and love!
        She has passed the test of life, and how long she can live is not her key concern. What she desires to pursue is to keep burning the light of life and to display the warmth of humanity. She has walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and is indeed a blooming black lily!
Entertain Hope ‧ Continue to Fight
        For Kim Barrow, 2012 was really a painful, challenging year, since this year, she fought for her life. She was diagnosed with cancer in the second half of 2011. When she made every endeavor to fight cancer and the victory was in sight, another major blow came, that is, she suffered heart failure late May of 2011. She could not help asking, "What happened to me?" She really needed an answer, but did not find it. Therefore, she continued to fight, entertain hop and pray. This was indeed a tough year for her. After she had completed chemotherapy and radiotherapy and experienced a very severe prognosis recovery, her heart recovered the normal beat frequency.
        Although she had to face tons of adversities, she still kept smiling most of the time. She smiled to the miracle she experienced every day. Besides, she always trusted the human spirit and courage and all kind things, and was grateful for all the support and pray for her.
        Yes, in 2012, she fought for her own health, but she said gratefully, "This is a successful year. Yes, it was! It was the lovely children in Belize who encouraged me! It was them who gave me strength and courage, allowing me to keep performing all tasks as a Women and Children Goodwill Ambassador. "After years of efforts and the promotion, this year she saw her efforts were paid off and a host of dreams have been realized. First, the telephone fundraising for constructing the "Inspiration Center" was incredibly successful, thereby officially launching the project of building this center. Second, the "Ordinance on Punishing Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Trafficking" was approved by the Cabinet, and won the unanimous support of the House of Representatives and the Senate to complete the legislation. Additionally, the drafting of amending the law to strengthen punishment of sexual offenders" was also completed in 2013. Also, "Challenging Kirby Foundation" raised more than US$ one million for the phase I project of the pediatric intensive care units.
        What is mentioned above is just part of the highlights. Besides, other activities are enormously successful, including the annual faith calendar and notepad, the Christmas concert with more than 300 child participants, hours of public service advertising concerning sexual exploitation and child safety, public awareness activities about strengthening care for people with disabilities and cancer patients, etc.
        Overall, the experience she learned this year or in survival was that she could not yield to the adversity no matter how daunting the challenge was! Regardless of how awful your experience is, even if you are lying in intensive care unit, you should never give up! Life is filled with countless "unfairness" and difficulties, but we are never defeated by cancer, unemployment and death, since fate is held in our own hands!
        Kim Barrow's belief is that: "My life is created by myself! Irrespective of how many obstacles and difficulties I face, I will spare no effort to make each year more abundant and substantial. I will continue to rely on my belief, to cherish and support my families, to be grateful to my friends and to fight for this country's children. When I am confronted with challenges in the new year, I will keep learn, and I hope you will do so as well!" 
        She quoted the words of Afrobella to encourage everyone:
        "Slow down your pace, calm down, look back the past year, taste the ups and downs as well as growth and changes you've experienced. Appreciate your current status and those who love you. Look forward to the coming year. To the best of your knowledge and ability, set reasonable goals and plans. Do not put limits on yourself nor compare yourself to others." 
        Each year regardless of any challenges, she will wish you peace, joy and affluence and love. (Great gratitude is extended to Cosmic Care Magazine and Chian-hong Hsia for supplying data.)