Rihanna Golding dies after two-year fight with bone cancer

After two years of battling stage two osteosarcoma (bone cancer), 18-year-old Rihanna Golding has lost her fight.

Golding passed away on Thursday afternoon at Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, just a week shy of her 19th birthday on September 29.

When The Gleaner contacted Golding’s mother, Bernadette McCook, she said the family has been traumatised by the loss.

"I hugged her and said, ‘Mama, why?’” McCook bemoaned.“I know she was in a lot of pain, but I’m really going to miss her—she was my only daughter,” she said, adding that she fell to her knees.

“When I saw them put the sheet over her, I knew she was gone,” she added.

In her final days, Golding was frequently hospitalised due to severe pain and persistent vomiting.

“The Bogue Hill Baptist Church was planning a fundraising walk to help with medical expenses on Sunday, September 14 . Now, we have to turn it into a fundraiser for her burial,” McCook sighed.

The event is set to begin at 5:30 p.m., with a participation fee of $1,000.

In August last year, shortly after undergoing an amputation of her right leg at the Falmouth Hospital in Trelawny, Golding discovered a lump near her groin.

The cancer returned more aggressively and progressed to stage four, eventually spreading to her brain and lungs.

A family friend, Cristania Gordon, said she is heartbroken.

“I remember the last conversation we had. Despite having cancer, I kept motivating her. I told her she could still become a chef, go back to school, or enjoy life,” said Gordon.

Golding’s ordeal began in 2023, when she noticed swelling on her right knee.

The swelling became so severe that she could no longer move without assistance.

Upon seeking medical attention, she was diagnosed with cancer.

- Ashley Anguin

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