Lifestyle reporter Nicole Williams Smith reports on the physical and financial battle being waged by the victim and her family.

Honours student Rodericka Pitcher is facing a trip from hell.

For the next year, the CedarBridge Academy student will have to subject her body to a series of gruelling chemotherapy treatments in a bid to rid her system of a deadly cancer.

On September 9, Rodericka was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma of the jaw -- a rare form of cancer which attacks the bones.

"One out of one million Americans will get it,'' said Rodericka's aunt Sharon Pitcher Jones. "They say that doctors will come across one Bermudian every 30 years with this type of cancer.

"In March, there was a very small abscess and over two months it grew very aggressively,'' Mrs. Pitcher Jones explained. "In just two months it multiplied.

"It is in a spot where we could see it, thank God. If it wasn't we would have never known. At first we thought it was just another tooth trying to come through.'' It is hoped that Rodericka's doctors detected the cancer early enough thereby drastically improving her chances for survival.

This is not the first time, cancer has reared its ugly head in the Pitcher family.

"In our family we deal with very rare cancers,'' Mrs. Pitcher Jones explained. "We have lost an aunt and two cousins to cancer already.

Rodericka's mother and I have breast cancer and her grandmother (who is now deceased) had breast cancer.

"But this is the first time we have had bone cancer in the family.'' However she vowed: "We have lost so many family members to cancer, but Rodericka will be the last member of my family who will be diagnosed with cancer.'' Mrs. Pitcher Jones urged local families to sit down and create family trees listing any diseases each family member has experienced, no matter how trivial.

"That way you can keep track of things and you will know that you have to be on-guard for certain types of diseases.'' Despite the difficult year ahead Rodericka, who is currently in the hospital, has remained positive and determined to beat the cancer that threatens her future.

"She is such an outgoing, pleasant person,'' Mrs. Pitcher Jones said. "She is always thinking of others, especially the people she is sharing her hospital room with.

"She is such a beautiful person and she has the most positive attitude.'' Her aunt said Rodericka even plans to continue her studies while undergoing treatment at Massachusettes General Hospital in Boston in a bid to achieve her goal -- completing her high school education.

"She plans to get her five credits and graduate -- that's her greatest wish,'' Mrs. Pitcher Jones said. "She will complete her last year of school through correspondence so she can graduate.

"The school has been so supportive and we, her family, will do whatever it takes to help her achieve her goal.'' And she said that the family has been coping with the ordeal thanks to their faith in God and their belief that their prayers will be answered.

To help the family cope with the financial strain of a year's worth of foreign medical treatment, a series of fund raising events are in the works.

"The medical procedures can't be done here due to the side effects she will experience. She and her mother, Hattie, will stay in Boston for a year.

"We have to find an apartment for Rodericka's mother, there will be living expenses, tests, medications and we want to get her a lap-top (computer) so she can do her school work in the hospital and keep in contact with teachers.

"We have no idea how much it will all cost. The insurance company will not cover it all.'' Gina Spence Productions will stage an encore performance of the show `A Figure of Speech, Hallelujah' this Friday to help raise funds for Rodericka.

"It is a family show which deals with a lot of social issues,'' Ms Spence explained. "It is about a recovering addict who is trying to rebuild her relationship with her family.

"We will be doing other things to raise money for Rodericka throughout the year,'' she pointed out. "We've adopted her as our cause.

"Bermudians are known to be very giving people. We are just asking people to come out and support this. Every little bit helps and a year abroad for medical care is very expensive.'' The benefit will take place Friday, October 23 at St. Paul's Centennial Hall on Court Street in Hamilton. Tickets for the 8 p.m. play are available from the Christian Bookstore, CedarBridge Academy, Spice Valley Middle School and Victor Scott School.

PROFILE IN COURAGE -- Rodericka Pitcher is battling a rare form of cancer, and faces the next year overseas in a bid to bring her disease under control.