Isle I Do: Shannon and Johanan
Now, when Shannon Doughlin cradles the scarred face of Johanan Lafeuillee in his arms and looks into her eyes, a love "grounded in Christ" radiates between them, built on a rock which they say is the fountain from which their love flows.
Their story is one of deep faith and true friendship.
"We met officially in the Law Library of the University of the West Indies (UWI)[Cave Hill Campus]," says Shannon. But that was not the first meeting.
Rather, Johanan was first introduced to Shannon fleetingly by a mutual friend in Bridgetown one night, as she and her friend were on their way to a worship/prayer meeting.
He was in his third year as a chemistry major and she was a second year law student. Some time after, while Johanan was studying in the library, she saw Shannon walk in with his laptop computer "looking very handsome". She vaguely recalled meeting him before, but somehow this time they struck up a conversation, as she recalled, "it was a very long conversation about worship services" .
Recounting that library meeting Johanan said: "Now I gave my life to Christ when I was 18. From 18, after having found God and experiencing the presence of God in worship and coming to Barbados, (Johanan was born in St. Lucia and lived in Grenada before coming to Barbados to study)
I wanted to maintain that grounding, but in having to meet somebody who has the same experience, who cannot do without God, who worships everyday. . . ."
Though she had hardly seen Shannon well on their first meeting, this time "It was like: WOW!"
"You know, we were so excited, we talked, we forgot all about the studies and then he had to leave."
Johanan took a lingering look at Shanon as he walked away, telling herself, "that is such a nice young man". But it was a fleeting thought. She snapped back into the reality of her purpose on campus.
"For so long I just was not studying guys. I just wanted to focus on my studies."
Shannon was of like mind. He said: "I was thinking the same thing. It was 2006, I was about to complete my degree and I was going up to New York. My dad resides there.
"I told God Johanan is a very nice girl. I see her definitely as wife material because she shares that same intimacy with God, something I hold in high esteem. Our spirits really bonded well, and I was like, Wow, this is a wonderful person."
But reality and his own sense of purpose prevailed. "I told myself no ... no ... no. I cannot get into this relationship right now. We will just be friends for now and we will see what happens afterwards."
Shannon was preparing to go off to the United States to study. But before leaving, he seized the opportunity to share his church experience with Johanan, inviting her to attend the Christmas programmme, the "Singing Christmas Tree", at the People's Cathedral where he worshipped.
"I went with him," Johanan said, but when she noticed Shannon's arm stretching across the back of the bench behind her shoulders while they sat, she wondered "why is this guy putting his arm around me if he is just my friend".
It was a gesture that Shannon admitted came spontaneously and out of pure "friendship", and one which continues even now.
Next he wanted her to meet his mother.
"I said to myself, this lady inspires me in terms of my walk with Christ. I said to her, 'Would you like to come with me to my mother's home for lunch?'," – an invitation which Johanan readily accepted.
Somehow she forgot her handbag at Shannon's house, prompting her Pastor to tease, "that guy likes you".
But Johanan insisted "we are just friends", and Shannon agreed.
Shanon went off to the United States shortly after, and Johanan continued her studies in Barbados.
When she began experiencing a sudden numbness in her right bottom lip and piercing pain in her chin, Johanan decided to visit her dentist. X-rays revealed "a little lesion" at the base of a tooth and a biopsy was ordered.
"It was a little frightening, but I knew that God had me in his hands. That was my faith, so I continued with school while waiting on the results of biopsy."
The X-rays had shown that the lesion was in fact growing from her bottom right mandible (lower jaw).
Shannon meanwhile had returned to Barbados for his graduation. A farewell dinner was being hosted for members of the Campus group Students Crusaders for Christ, of which they were both members, and Johanan was looking forward to seeing her friend there. Shannon did set out for that dinner, but he spent the night rambling trying to find the venue. He never did.
"I was so disappointed, I was looking forward to seeing Shannon again," Johanan said.
She therefore was ecstatic when on the day he was due to leave, he invited her to lunch at Cave Shepherd.
It was then she broke the news about her health.
"While we were there, I told him that I had numbness in my lip and I don't know what it was as yet." That was not all she told him, for by that time a biopsy had been done, a benign diagnosis had been given locally, and the tumour had already begun to grow – information which she shared with Shannon over lunch.
For Shannon it was shocking and traumatic news.
"I did not know what to say. I was just telling her to live in God's presence because I know that He will surround her and her mind will be constant in His presence."
Shannon returned to the United States, and unknown to Johannan, immediately began a three-day fruit fast for the friend who meant so much to him "just to speak to God about the entire situation".
Here Johanan interjected: "I went into the office of the doctor and they told me that the tumour, an osteosarcoma, was benign, but I should to rush to North America as soon as possible, and the ENT stressed as soon as possible to get treatment, as Barbados cannot do the surgery".
"I cried like a baby in the arms of Auntie Pam." (Pam Austin who was her surrogate mother in Barbados.)
It was devastating news for Johanan. Looking back she describes it as: "A year I could never forget, because it was a change of season in every way in my life in every way possible. My spirit, my soul, my body went away and my seasons literally changed from a summery Barbados to a wintery North America".
"It was a changing from everything, having to deal with the grief of not being able to represent my school in Washington. How could I let down the team . . . their having to find someone else . . . having to leave my final year of Law school. I was looking forward to working in Panama that summer."
Johanan's health was deteriorating fast. "I was getting very weak. I could not stay up to study."
