Advocacy

When I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, I learned that it was a disease that not many people were talking about. I myself didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know that almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. I didn’t even know what HPV was!

In the beginning, I advocated by posting on Facebook, challenging women to get their Pap smears. I reposted information from other groups I started a blog, detailing my life with cervical cancer. I encouraged young women and parents to get themselves and their children the HPV vaccine.

But I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. I wanted to change things, to really make a difference.

And then I met Tamika Felder.

Tamika was diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 24. Like so many of us, she mourned the loss of her fertility, and felt uncomfortable talking about her disease because of the sexual stigma attached to cervical cancer. After her diagnosis, she found support to be lacking. There weren’t Internet groups like there are today. 

Tamika decided to do something about it. In 2005, she starred Tamika & Friends, Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to cervical cancer survivors and their friends/family. This organization eventually morphed into Cervivor, a group that teaches women that their stories matter, and makes them advocated for cervical cancer.

When I attended Cerivor School West, I knew I wanted to advocate for HPV awareness and cervical cancer. Today she is speaking and educating women all over the world. Tamika lit a fire under me, and I am so excite for the advocacy work I will do in 2016! And I owe it all to my friend and mentor, Tamika Felder.

xoxo Jennie