On Sunday, October 25, the Ms. Letna Healing Hope Foundation will host its 10th Annual Healing Hope Fundraising Brunch at Sts. Peter & Paul Banquet Hall in Scarborough. Ten years. More than $50,000 raised. Three health organizations supported across two countries.
It all started on December 16, 2011, the day Letna Allen-Rowe was diagnosed with breast cancer. Two years later she turned that experience into a foundation. Ahead of the milestone brunch, she answered our ten questions in her own words. The full Q&A follows.
The Interview
Take us back to the beginning. What do you remember about the day you were diagnosed in 2011, and what was going through your mind?
I remember that day very clearly. I was diagnosed with breast cancer on December 16, 2011, and hearing those words changes everything. You can be going through your normal day, thinking about your family and everything you have to do, and suddenly your world feels very different.
There was fear, there were questions, and there was a lot of uncertainty. I think one of the biggest thoughts was, “What happens now?” But even in that moment, I knew I had to keep going.
My faith was important to me, and so was my family. I also knew that I had to take things one day at a time. Looking back now, I can see that my diagnosis was not the end of my story. In many ways, it became the beginning of a different chapter, one that eventually led me to helping other people.
A lot of people go through something life-changing and keep it private. What pushed you to turn your experience into a foundation just two years later?
I realized that if I was going through this, there were probably other women going through it too, and some of them may not have the support, information or resources they need.
Cancer can be frightening, and sometimes people don’t know what questions to ask or where to turn. I wanted to use my experience to help create conversations around cancer, encourage people to get checked, and remind people that they don’t have to go through difficult moments alone.
The Foundation came from a very simple place: if my experience could help somebody else, then I wanted to share it.
What started with my own journey became something much bigger: a way to give back and help our community.
Why the name Healing Hope? What do those two words mean to you personally?
Those two words really describe the journey.
Healing doesn’t just mean being healed physically. There is emotional healing, spiritual healing and healing that happens when you feel supported by the people around you.
And hope is what helps you keep moving forward when things are difficult.
For me, Healing Hope is a reminder that even in the middle of something challenging, there can still be a reason to believe that tomorrow can be better.
Ten brunches and more than $50,000 raised. When you think back to that very first brunch, what was the moment you realized this had become bigger than you ever expected?
I don’t think there was one single moment. It happened gradually.
At the beginning, it was simply about bringing people together, sharing my story and raising whatever we could to help. Then people kept coming back. People started asking how they could help. Sponsors got involved. Volunteers stepped up. Families and friends brought other people into the room.
And every year, the brunch became more than a fundraiser. It became a place where people could come together, learn something, celebrate survivors, remember loved ones and feel connected.
Now, looking at 10 years, I feel incredibly grateful. More than $50,000 raised is meaningful, but the relationships and the awareness created along the way are just as important to me.
The funds support Scarborough Health Network’s Centenary site, the Jamaica Cancer Society, and TAIBU Community Health Centre. Why was it important to you that the impact reach both Canada and back home?
Canada is home, and Scarborough is home. This is where I received my care and where I have built my life.
But Jamaica is also home. It is part of who I am.
I wanted the Foundation to reflect both sides of that connection. Cancer affects families everywhere, and I believe we have a responsibility to support the communities who support us.
Being able to contribute to cancer care and health initiatives here in Scarborough while also supporting the Jamaica Cancer Society is very meaningful to me.
It reminds me that giving back doesn’t have to stop at one border.
As a Jamaican woman in Scarborough, did you find that culture shaped how people around you talked about cancer, or did not talk about it?
Absolutely. Culture can shape how we talk about illness, and sometimes cancer is something people are uncomfortable talking about.
There can be fear. There can be stigma. Sometimes people don’t want to talk about cancer because they are afraid of what it might mean. And sometimes people may delay getting checked because they don’t want to know.
That’s one of the reasons education is so important to me.
We need to make conversations about cancer normal. We need to talk about family history, screening and early detection without fear or shame. We need to encourage our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunties and friends to take care of themselves.
Talking about cancer doesn’t create cancer. Silence can prevent people from getting the information and care they need.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What is the one thing you wish every Caribbean woman reading this knew about early detection?
Please don’t wait.
Know your body. Pay attention to changes. Know your family history and speak with your healthcare provider about the screening that is appropriate for you.
I know that fear can make people want to avoid the doctor, but finding something early can make a difference.
My message is simple: don’t be afraid to get checked, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Your health matters. You matter.
A decade of brunches takes a village. Who are the people behind the scenes who keep this going year after year?
There are so many people I could name.
My family has been a tremendous source of support, especially my daughter, Yanique, who has been involved in so many aspects of the Foundation and the brunch.
Then there is our committee and our volunteers. These are people who give their time, ideas, energy and connections because they believe in what we are doing.
Our sponsors and donors have also been incredibly important. Every contribution, whether big or small, has helped us continue.
And then there are the people who attend year after year. They buy tickets, bring their friends, donate, participate in the raffle, share our message and encourage others to get involved.
So when I say Healing Hope is a community effort, I truly mean it. I may have started the Foundation, but so many people have helped carry it forward.
For someone in our community going through a diagnosis right now, what would you say to them?
I would say: don’t give up hope.
Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. Ask questions. Surround yourself with people who support you. Accept help when it is offered.
And remember that a diagnosis is a moment in your life, it does not define your entire life.
I know what it feels like to hear the word cancer. I know there can be fear and uncertainty. But I also know that there can be healing, there can be joy, and there can be life after a diagnosis.
Take it one day at a time. Keep your faith. Keep hope close.
And don’t be afraid to let people walk beside you.
Ten years in, what’s next? If you could dream big for the next decade of the Foundation, what would it look like?
I would love to see Healing Hope reach even more people.
I want us to continue having honest conversations about cancer, especially in Black and Caribbean communities. I want more people to understand the importance of early detection and knowing their family history.
I would also love to see us expand the Foundation’s ability to support cancer care and community wellness initiatives, both here in Canada and in Jamaica.
But more than anything, I want Healing Hope to continue being a place of hope, education, connection and support.
Ten years ago, I could not have imagined that my personal experience would grow into this.
So if I think about the next 10 years, I dream about taking what we have built and making the circle even bigger.
There are more people to reach, more conversations to have, more lives to touch and, hopefully, many more stories of healing to celebrate.
That is the dream.
Talking about cancer doesn’t create cancer. Silence can prevent people from getting the information and care they need.
Event Details
The 10th Annual Healing Hope Fundraising Brunch takes place Sunday, October 25, 2026, at Sts. Peter & Paul Banquet Hall, 231 Milner Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario.
Tickets are on sale now through ticket gateway https://www.ticketgateway.com/event/view/healinghope2026
For more info please visit http://www.MsLetnaHealingHope.com
Can’t make it? Donations are accepted by cheque or e-transfer to donatetomsletnahealinghope@gmail.com, and donations over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt.
Sources: Written Q&A with Ms. Letna Allen-Rowe, founder of the Ms. Letna Healing Hope Foundation, October 2026.
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