We lost a sister, mother, daughter, and best friend in August 2010. Although her journey through melanoma cancer was brief, it was the most heartbreaking and painful experience Trina and our family had ever had to experience.
Let me tell you a little about Trina. She had 3 children, Jessica, Jasmine, and Jacob. Trina was the most caring and loving mother anyone could know. She worked two jobs to support her children and provided for them to the best of her ability. Rita White, our mother, had five children and Trina was the middle child. She was truly the most amazing role model for her children, best friend, and wonderful daughter. She had a knack for making you laugh just by hearing her contagious laugh. Rarely was she in bad spirits. Not having much herself would never stop her from helping anyone that needed it. Life never got her down for too long.
Her battle was very difficult to watch and I can’t imagine how hard it was for her to bear. Trina had two abnormal moles. She had one on her chest and one on her arm. We warned Trina that the moles were growing and needed to be seen immediately. Trina finally went to a dermatologist and was advised that the mole growth was just skin irritation and given some ointment. This didn’t seem right to anyone but we let it be. Just a few months later Trina was hospitalized for a minor surgery and during recovery on a routine visit the attending physician warned Trina that the moles did not appear normal and needed to be checked. She followed the doctor’s orders and had biopsies done. Both moles came back cancerous.
Jennifer Cassens, sister