Kelita's Story

Before following her heart’s instinct and finally contacting Jupiter Medical Center’s Anderson Family Cancer Institute about her ongoing breast cancer diagnosis, 53-year-old Kelita Vaughan of Lake Worth had experienced a four months of frustrating medical encounters and healthcare service experiences elsewhere — obstacles that no patient wants to endure.

A two-week wait for a mammogram appointment after she discovered a large lump in her left breast while watching TV one March evening in 2024. Lost medical records. Referrals to specialists whose calendars were too full for new patients. Testing snafus and a two-week wait for results from a lumpectomy that eventually diagnosed her cancer.

“I found the lump in March and did not get a biopsy for almost six weeks,” says Kelita. “Everything seems to take so long, like you’re walking on molasses. If I weren’t able to advocate for myself, I’m not sure where I’d be right now.”

But advocate, she did.

A friend’s recommendation…and a life “provision”
The day before she was scheduled to undergo a double mastectomy in late June, she relied on her deeply held faith… and then trusted both her intuition and a medical friend’s recommendation: she called the Breast Center at Jupiter Medical Center for a second opinion.

Within 24 hours, she had received a nurse’s assurance that breast surgeon Dr. John Rimmer, Medical Director of Comprehensive Breast Care, would explore her chart, evaluate her medical reports and work her into his busy schedule as soon as possible. Based on Dr. Rimmer’s reputation and promise of a quick follow-up by his staff, Kelita canceled her surgery at another hospital. And in early July…

“…I got to see the most amazing doctor I’ve ever seen in my life, and that is Dr. John Rimmer,” says a grateful Vaughan. “Without Dr. Rimmer, I would have undergone an unnecessary double mastectomy. Everyone at Jupiter Medical Center – they saved my life, especially Dr. Rimmer. I wish there was a Grammy Award for doctors, because Dr. Rimmer would get one.”

She remembers the visit like it was yesterday.

“He walks into the room, he holds my hand, looks at me and my husband and says, ‘I just want to tell you something,’” she recalls. “‘I’m glad you didn’t have that double mastectomy because it would have been a wrong move. Your margins are clear, and a double mastectomy would have been an aggressive move. I’m so glad you made the choice to cancel your surgery. Whatever voice you’re listening to, keep listening to that voice.”

Because there was no sign of marginal cancerous tissue after her lumpectomy, Dr. Rimmer advised a far less invasive treatment plan of chemotherapy followed by radiation — the medical plan she is now following.

“I believe in purpose, and I believe that every member of Dr. Rimmer’s team was purposed to be there for me,” says Kelita, a British-born U.S. citizen. “The amazing Jupiter radiation team, the oncology team, the nurses, the technicians, the front-desk staff…everyone has been so kind and are genuinely great people. I call them the ‘crème de la crème’ of angels. I would not want to do this journey with anyone else but the staff at Jupiter Medical Center.”

The importance of “provision”
A former HR program director who founded KG Group Life Planning Specialists LLC in 2022 to help low- to middle-income families with legal, financial and medical planning, Kelita pinpoints the source of her inspirational medical journey and decision-making process: soft words spoken to her in 2017 by her pastor on the day of her daughter’s christening.

“Don’t worry,” she remembers the pastor saying to her. “The provision has already been made for your life.” Those words words struck deep in her soul in a way she would not totally understand until her breast cancer diagnosis.

Through every challenging step of her medical journey – including her decision to cancel the surgical removal of both breasts — she was guided by the deeply held conviction that the right medical care would be provided to her.

She is now paying her experience forward by forming Angels of Provision, a nonprofit organization that supports other women facing numerous obstacles as they navigate difficult health challenges and diagnoses – everything from financial help for copayments, wigs and lift chairs to assistance scheduling critical appointments or arranging transportation for medical visits and treatments.

Grateful, and paying it forward to other women
“I have good insurance, but what about the women and men who don’t? What about the patients who can’t advocate for themselves?” Kelita asks. “The goal is to bring an awareness to people in need and have a conversation about their options. I want to be that bright love in their life, the person who sends love packages to them. I know women need a lot, and I know I can help them.

“Nothing happens by chance,” she adds with conviction, “ and I would feel ungrateful to the universe and to God of I went through this experience and then went back to my normal life without advocating for other women who are going through the same challenges.”

She emphasizes the need for women of all ages, races and backgrounds to navigate and access and the healthcare they need.

“This journey has taught me that we have to advocate for ourselves, and each woman has to be her own voice, because when you’re going through a health journey, it feels like all hell is breaking loose,” she says.

This much is certain, she adds with confidence: “Without Dr. Rimmer and the amazing chemotherapy and radiation team at Jupiter, I would have undergone an unnecessary double mastectomy by now. I’m so thankful to him and his staff.”