Teen entrepreneur to help with breast cancer fight

Young entrepreneur Whitney Waysome plans to donate 10 per cent of this month's revenue from her small business to the Jamaica Cancer Society, her way of supporting the entity's Breast Cancer Month activities.

"I want to donate $15,000 to the Cancer Society after I make my sales. If my overall revenue doesn't reach it, I will use my personal money to make up," said Waysome, an 18-year-old sixth form student at Hampton High School in St Elizabeth. "I sell accessories and self-care products for females and seeing that I go to an all-girls' school, I have a client base, so I'm confident that I'll make most of the money."

Waysome said that her eagerness to be part of the breast cancer fight not only stems from being a female, but also because her family has a history of the illness on her mother's side.

"So when I think about that, I just knew I wanted to be a part of the movement and bring awareness," she told THE STAR. "My aunt even had one of her breasts removed and I said this might even happen to me, so it is only right I do something to help." Waysome operates her business, which is only a year old, from her home in Thornton, also in St Elizabeth.

She is hoping that the donations, that she plans to make by early November, will be used to facilitate persons who are unable to afford mammograms.

"My aunt found out that she had breast cancer not as early as she would have wanted to, so I know persons can have it and not know because they don't have resources to get screening done," she said. The Jamaica Cancer society said that the cost for such procedure is $4,500 and Waysome wants to help underwrite the cost to persons who cannot afford it.

"I have met a lot of people and understand the struggles many are facing and Key Club is about giving back so this is just my way of living up to our motto, which is 'caring -- our way of life'," she said.

Waysome also said that she plans to hand over a tablet to a child who is having challenges accessing online classes.