cervical cancer survivors

Why January is Our Month

Within the Cervivor community we talk a lot about feeling like our cervical cancer doesn’t have the visibility that breast cancer has. But it takes a village, a global voice, to make even the smallest impact. And it does not happen overnight.

As Lead Cervivor Ambassador, I want to elevate the voices within our below-the-belt club. I want you to know how important your personal story fits into Cervivor’s mission to end cervical cancer. I have the pleasure to chair this years Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) Planning Committee and I cannot be more proud of the work this team has done for this community. January gives us an entire month to educate about the importance of cervical cancer prevention and splash our social media channels teal & white!

Collectively, we are the catalyst needed for change and change takes every voice and everyone’s action. This month we are creating a platform for you to build upon; to get people talking about cervical cancer awareness and prevention. Our CCAM committee has gone above and beyond to make January 2021 the best ever!

There are so many amazing events I am excited for this month. We truly have something for everyone. Since 2020 gave me more time at home, I started incorporating more fitness into my daily life so the fact that we are hosting a virtual Pap Rally & Run has got me pumped up!

I’m always up for talking about the more intimate side of cervical cancer and how that effects us. Sexy Saturday discussions will be filled with all the stuff we love to talk about with those who completely ‘get it’.

Be sure to check out our January CCAM calendar and participate with us all month long. We need you and your Cervivor Spark! Engage in conversations on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and share Cervivor’s content throughout the month.

At Cervivor, our CCAM mission is clear, make January Cervivor’s month to shine and showcase how we will #EndCervicalCancer. I hope you join us and help us spread the word. Ending cervical cancer is within our reach — especially when we work together. 

Carol Lacey, Lead Cervivor Ambassador and 2020 Cervivor Champion. Read or watch Carol’s Cervivor Story.

Surviving Through Music

Our world is feeling great pain and uncertainty right now. Cervivor created a music video to show hope, love and strength within our cancer community but it reaches far beyond cancer — the message is truly universal.

The song that inspired this video, The Will to BE, was written by my caregiver and husband Pete. I love being married to a musician because our house is always filled with great music. Pete says that creating music from his heart for the world to hear, makes him feel like in some small way, he’s creating happiness.

During my cervical cancer diagnosis, multiple treatments and surgeries and three reoccurrences, Pete’s music truly lifted me up and gave me the spark I needed. His music was always on my ‘Chemo Playlist’ and I’d listen to it when I just needed to calm my mind and body.

Cervivor created a music video to show hope, love and strength within our cancer community but it reaches far beyond cancer — the message is truly universal.

Pete also knows all the women of Cervivor through their stories. These stories are the fabric of this song, weaving through emotions we carry as cancer patients, survivors and thrivers.

In 2017, California was experiencing literal storms and relentless rainfall. Everything around us was falling apart with no end in sight. During one of those storms, Cervivor founder, Tamika Felder asked Pete to write some music for Cervivor. 

He immediately drew parallels with the storms and cancer which inspired the opening lyric, “Been a long rainy season. The tides and winds headstrong. It batters our lives and we don’t know for how long.”

When you have cancer you give up a lot normalcy in your life and it doesn’t change when or if your cancer ends. You look at life differently; you are navigating through uncharted waters. 

Sometimes you’re drowning in fear and it takes every ounce of strength to get through the day. We hold on to hope, this four-letter word that becomes our lifeline. 

This song speaks to anyone who has faced deep hardships. The women featured in this video are beautiful and real. We are your neighbors. We are sisters, daughters, mothers, aunties and cancer is forever part of our lives. But we refuse to let cancer define us. We are living our lives and not forgetting what brings us joy.

The Will to BE is a song of truth and unpredictability but importantly the will to be loved and strong and needing to belong.

We hope that this song and video will fill your heart and show you that despite what cancer takes away, it leaves space for us to fill with gratitude and hope.

Pete and Cervivor Ambassador Carol live in Northern California with their fur baby, Ace the Dog, who can be usually be found at Pete’s feet in his music studio. They also have two amazing grown kids, Michael and Sydney, who are Carol’s inspiration to thrive.