Transcript
SHELLY BURICH: From the time that she knew she had cancer, three and a half years ago, she came walking into my door and said to me "Ok Shelly what can I do? I want to make a change. I want to use my time here to really promote and enforce the awareness of breast cancer and I want to make change for improvement." So that was her main goal and she never faltered from that. She was always one that sometimes we couldn't keep up with her. She had so much energy and spirit and determination and in a way she helped us with the same type of strength with this determination and her spirit. When I spoke at her service, I said you know she may be gone but she is with us forever and we will continue her legacy. We will continue to push for more awareness and not only for breast cancer, but all cancers. And that is what Manamea would have wanted you know the need for change and improvement for our society and our cancer patients here in Samoa.
SARA VUI-TALITU: What are some of the challenges particularly pertinent to Samoa in relation to this work?
SB: The lack of resources that we have here. With the Cancer Society one of our main aims is to really push awareness and the signs and symptoms of cancer and to educate our people about cancer and the importance of early detection. But unfortunately while we do all this, there are just not enough resources to allow people to come in for proper diagnosis, treatment - there are no treatment options, and so they are very limited in what they can be offered. I think that Manamea went through all that herself and she struggled to get to New Zealand for treatment through the government overseas treatment scheme. And I think she then realised that not everyone had the support that she had from family and friends, who helped her get to where she needed to be, helped her get all her treatments done even when I think it was like the second cycle when the Samoa government was unable to fund, her family took her back and they rallied together. So she really wanted to advocate more for what was needed here in Samoa to help the people, the cancer patients who were unable to go overseas for treatment. She's an amazing woman.
SV: I also saw she was responsible for like the clock tower being painted pink.
SB: Every year we do Pinktober [in October] and from the time she said she was really going to push cancer and what could she do, she took our lead and just helped us. She has got such a wide network of friends, family in government and schools everywhere in Samoa. She just used her networks in Samoa to make things happen which is very evident with her Miss Samoa alumni, being an ex Miss Samoa and Miss South Pacific.
SV: What are some of the words that sum up what people said [about her]?
SB: They talked a lot about her spirit and her determination and her husband Allen summed it up really well when he said there were three words that she really lived by. Faith, love and hope.
