After months of intense chemotherapy treatment, Joslyn Le Compte is ready to sail into a new chapter of her life—literally. The Roper Hospital oncology patient has booked a Thanksgiving cruise to the Bahamas.
She has a lot to be grateful for this holiday season, she said.
“I want to do something special with my family to celebrate, now that I know I’m cancer-free,” she said.
With a sweet smile on her face, Joslyn rang the bell and signed the Roper Hospital oncology unit’s finish line banner, signifying the end of her cancer treatment. The unit’s teammates gathered around Joslyn and her mom to celebrate the milestone together.
Just two weeks before Joslyn completed her final round of chemotherapy, her close friend Brittany Little had celebrated her own milestone on the same unit—crossing the finish line of her cancer journey. Diagnosed with the same type of cancer, B-cell lymphoma, the two women leaned on each other throughout the summer, forming a bond that would carry them through their darkest moments.
“I’m so grateful for my friendship with Brittany,” Joslyn said. “She understood what I was going through in a way no one else could.”
While both women expressed deep gratitude for their supportive families, Brittany noted that having someone who could truly relate to every step of the process meant the world to her. Both women faced not only the physical challenges of chemotherapy but the emotional toll it can take as well.
Brittany (pictured) and Joslyn grew close throughout their cancer journeys, leaning on one another during the good times and bad.
“It was especially meaningful to have another woman—a fellow warrior—to talk to when I struggled with losing my hair and feeling as though I was losing part of my identity,” she said.
The two women’s unique shared experience helped carry Brittany through all the good and bad times throughout their treatment, she said.
“From daily check-in texts to hospital visits over coffee, I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a friend with such a unique shared experience,” she said.
Joslyn was diagnosed with cancer in April and has received chemotherapy every two weeks since May. She is an active mother of three who enjoys everything from golfing and going to the beach to boating and working out. After finishing her final treatment, she’s excited to get back to training in the gym and doing what makes her feel good, she said.
Joslyn added her name to the finish line banner, a new tradition on 5 South that started with Brittany’s celebration.
“I can’t wait to have all my energy back and to begin my life again,” Joslyn said.
In addition to the close bond she formed with Brittany, Joslyn also found comfort in her care team.
“I’m so grateful to have this whole journey behind me, to heal and to live life,” Joslyn said. “I’m able to do that because of the incredible treatment I received at Roper Hospital.”
Joslyn credits her medical team on 5 South, the oncology unit at Roper Hospital, for helping her navigate the ups and downs of her treatment with compassion and expertise.
“Dr. Ryan Kalinsky went above and beyond,” she said. “And the nurses did too. Words can’t explain how wonderful everybody here has been. They were always happy to help in any way, and they always did it with a smile.”
As Joslyn and Brittany look ahead, their bond remains unbreakable—two survivors, now cancer-free, ready to live their lives. They both are planning to share their stories at Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s Oncology Symposium next year, eager to inspire others.