Breast Cancer Awareness 2025

Newsday

6 Hrs Ago

Furillo Narine made a key change in his life after recovering from breast cancer: He started his own business, The Mac Man TT. – Photo by Faith Ayoung

Bavina Sookdeo

When 39-year-old Furillo Narine from Couva first felt a small lump in his chest – “like a split pea,” as he described it – he brushed it off.

It took a playful evening with his four-year-old son, a sharp elbow to the chest and his wife’s insistence to get him to seek medical advice.

That decision, he would later say, saved his life.

In August 2022, Narine was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.

Disbelief was his first reaction.

“At that point, I didn’t think that men could get breast cancer. That was not a thing that I knew about.”

Even when he went for a biopsy, he thought it was just a precaution.

“The chances of men getting breast cancer is less than one per cent. Up until that point, I was like, ‘All right, this is just a routine thing.’”

But “routine” turned into reality.

After surgery, the diagnosis was upgraded to stage 3A – because the cancer had spread into his lymph nodes.

“The doctors removed one side of my chest completely,” he said quietly. “They went straight down the muscle and took everything, including the lymph nodes under the armpit.”

The hardest part

His battle was gruelling. After surgery came chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy – tablets he must take daily for the next ten years.

He recalled vividly the shock of losing his hair.

“They told me about it, they prepared me – but nothing could truly prepare you for that moment. I remember shampooing my hair one night and my whole hand turned black. I was in total shock.”

But the hardest part wasn’t the hair loss – it was the night he almost died.

“On my last chemo session, I wasn’t feeling well, but I wanted to finish the treatment.

“I didn’t know I had sepsis (a potentially life-threatening response to an infection).

“I went to an emergency department (in south Trinidad) twice before and they said it was side effects of chemo.

“The third time, I couldn’t breathe and I was in extreme pain. I thought I was going to die – I even called my mother to say my goodbyes.”

It was his oncologist, Dr Nazareen Bhim, who arrived at the emergency department that Sunday and immediately recognised the severity of his condition.

“She came, looked at me, ran to the ward and got a doctor and returned saying, ‘Prep him for surgery now.’

“That was my breaking point. That was the scariest moment of my life.”

‘My wife was my strength’

Through it all, one person stood firm by his side – his wife, Joanne Sinanansingh.

Breast cancer survivor Furillo Narine, his wife Joanne Sinanansingh and their son Aaryan during a visit to New York. –

“She was with me 100 per cent of the way,” he said with emotion. “She’s the more resilient one – the one with the targeted approach. She deals with the problem first and handles emotions after.”

He also credited his medical team, particularly Drs Robbie Rampersad, Lyronne Olivier and Nazreen Bhim, for treating him with compassion.

“I went to a doctor before who was cold – dropped the news on me and didn’t even spend ten minutes.

“But Dr Olivier spoke to me like a human being going through something. He explained, he spent at least two hours, he drew diagrams, he made jokes, he comforted me. Before I left, he gave me a card with his personal number and told me to call anytime. I’ve never experienced that before.”

A new purpose

After surviving his ordeal, Narine decided to walk away from his corporate job.

“I was the regional manager for a local Apple franchise for 11 years. I worked six days a week, sometimes 12 hours a day.

“I realised that wasn’t my purpose. God was telling me something.”

Today, he runs his own business, The Mac Man TT, offering online sales and tech support.

But more importantly, he’s reclaiming time with his family.

“Now I work on my terms. My health and my family come first. Any day I spend with my wife and child – that’s a good day.”

‘It still affects me’

The physical scars of Narine’s battle were only part of the aftermath.

“It still affects me emotionally,” he admitted. “Three years later, and I still have not come to terms with it.

“My wife is okay with it, but I feel self-conscious. If I go to the beach or pool, I wear a jersey now. When I look at myself in the mirror…it’s there, and to a point, it’s depressing.

“But I try to see the positive in it rather than the negative.”

For Narine, breast reconstruction was an option – but one he declined.

“They could put in artificial tissue and tattoo on a nipple, but I didn’t opt for it. It doesn’t matter any more.”

Not just a woman’s disease

Now 42, Narine has shared his story to raise awareness that breast cancer is not just a woman’s disease.

“For me, after what I went through, this is about awareness – to say, ‘Hey, men can get this too.’”

His message to other men is that such a diagnosis is “not the end of the world. If you feel something, say something,” he urged.

He also wants people to rethink their priorities.

“Working is not the most important thing in life. Sharing experiences with the people you love – that’s what life is about.

“Be mindful of what you put in your body, because your health is your wealth.

“But most importantly, understand what you want from life. We were put here to make a change, no matter how small it is.”

Love that carried him through

Narine wanted to send a message to the two people who helped him get through it all.

“To Joanne and Aaryan,” he said, “I just want to say thank you – from the deepest part of my heart. Through every step of my journey, you both have been my strength, my comfort and my reason to keep going.

“Joanne, your love, patience and unwavering support gave me hope even on the hardest days.

“And Aaryan, your smile, laughter and hugs reminded me why I did all of this.

“You carried me when I was weak and stood firm when I needed faith the most. Because of you, I never felt alone. Because of you, I made it through. I love you both to the moon and back.”