The Ladies in the White Shirts

Cervivor is committed to making a difference by working to close disparity gaps that continue to plague Communities of Color. This commitment led Cervivor’s Founder and Chief Visionary, Tamika Felder, and Cervivor’s Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, Kimberly Williams to unite community members this past weekend from around the world—Honduras, St. Lucia, and U.S. states like Texas, Maryland, California, Alabama, New York, North Carolina, Iowa, and more—to Cleveland, Ohio, for the Cervical Cancer Patient Advocacy Retreat for Communities of Color. This retreat wasn’t just a local event; it was a global movement. We had community members participating via Zoom from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Africa, emphasizing our commitment to advocating for change worldwide.

Empowering Knowledge
Renowned experts from the Cleveland Clinic and Langston Hughes shared their insights on cervical cancer prevention, treatment, and advocacy. Attendees gained a deeper understanding of the importance of:

  • Routine screenings and HPV vaccination.
  • The need for cultural competency in healthcare.
  • Ways for them to engage in community outreach and education.

After an expert-led panel, Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, Kimberly Williams recapped the powerful message, “An educated patient takes action.”

Participants also had the opportunity to discuss self-collection cervical cancer screening and participated in discussions that answered questions about self-collection and its importance in eliminating cervical cancer. This discussion aided the advocates in understanding and promoting self-collection as a viable option for early detection when they return to their communities.

A special session with Dr. Leeya Pinder, who practices both in the United States and Africa, provided a global perspective on the issue of access (not just screening and treatment, but also clinical trials). Dr. Pinder explained the dire need for advocacy to end the disease, highlighting that many individuals with a cervix in these countries lack access to essential screening materials, leading to detrimental results. Her insights allowed participants to see the full circle of need in cervical cancer prevention and treatment.

Turning Knowledge into Action
On Saturday, Cervivor launched Cervivor Cares, which is our initiative to raise awareness about cervical cancer in communities through education, volunteering, and active presence. We engaged in community outreach, raised funds, and supported the mission to eliminate cervical cancer by providing essential resources and promoting access to necessary screening and treatment for all. 

What better way to launch Cervivor Cares, than a Cervivor in Action day after a full day of classroom training? That’s right, our retreat participants increased their advocacy footprint by putting their knowledge into action. They volunteered their time at a clinic hosted by Medworks and the Cleveland Clinic that provided preventative screenings to the underserved community of Cleveland, Ohio. 

It was not only an opportunity for preventive screenings, it was an opportunity for our participants to bring education and empowerment to all those who attended and were touched by our volunteers. Without hesitation, our retreat participants assisted by sharing their stories and expressing the importance of our mission. Our Cervivor Español, attendees translated to and for patients in every facet including the exam room so patients understood the physician’s questions and requests. This group put the information they learned into action immediately. Our participants met people where they were, in their daily routines —urging them to schedule their cervical cancer screenings, attend follow-ups, and the importance of HPV vaccination. 

As they shared their stories and stressed the importance of cervical cancer screenings and HPV Vaccination, the clinic was buzzing with excitement. Patients and staff alike began referring to them as “The Ladies in the White Shirts,” urging others, “You need to go talk to the ladies in the white shirts.”  These Cervivors were educating patients before they even walked through the door, helping them understand that regardless of their past, getting screened and following up on any abnormalities now is crucial. The retreat participants’ presence underscored the importance of the Cervivor mission and served as a reminder that their story mattered, and was already making a difference.

Embracing the Spirit of the Ladies in the White Shirts
As we reflect on this transformative event, we celebrate the spirit of “The Ladies in the White Shirts”—the Cervivor community. Each of you embodies this spirit by wearing your shirt, sharing your story, and advocating for screening. Your dedication makes you a vital part of the movement to end cervical cancer. In the words of Gwendolyn Jackson, “You have prepared me to go out into my community.” If you don’t feel prepared, we have programs available for you!

We encourage everyone to grab your Cervivor Spark, use the hashtags #Screen4Me and #Cervivor, and continue advocating for cervical cancer screenings. By sharing your story and spreading awareness, you become a powerful advocate, helping others access the screenings they need and contributing to a future free from cervical cancer. Together, as a community working to eradicate cervical cancer, let’s continue to make our voices heard, drive change, and support each other in this crucial mission.

Cervivor would like to extend its sincerest gratitude to our sponsors, including Pfizer, Genmab, Roche, and The Marchetta Family (Vince, Amanda, & William in honor of their late wife and mother, Betsy), as well as our in-kind donors, La Roche-Posay, Kafela, Lepley & Co., and Kesh the Creative, for their generous support and contributions to our mission.

The Power of Community and an Exceptional Gift

⚠️ This content may be triggering for some. Includes infertility and pregnancy. ⚠️

Dearest Cervivor Community,

Happy Survivorship Month! No matter where you land, it’s a reason to celebrate. Even if you’re just celebrating today. We all get so caught up in milestones. It’s hard not to. Comparisons are everywhere and we all just want so much more time. But what I’ve learned over the years is that each new day is really the greatest gift. One day at a time.

Beyond National Cancer Survivor Month, I’ve got a bunch of reasons to celebrate. June is also my birthday month (yay for birthdays!), and today marks the anniversary of my radical hysterectomy at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland.

Twenty-one years! I remember when the hospital called to confirm my surgery. I was 25 years old, shocked and terrified that I wouldn’t get to see my 26th birthday. I pleaded with the scheduling coordinator to schedule surgery after my birthday. I thought, if this was it, I was at least going to celebrate one last time. But I didn’t get my way. My radical hysterectomy to rid my body of the cervical cancer tumor that was taking over was scheduled for June 14, 2001, at 7 am. I walked myself into the operating room, got up on the table, and woke up hours later – forever changed, both physically and mentally.

I didn’t know then how my own diagnosis with cervical cancer would play a role in my own life, as well as the lives of others. I couldn’t even imagine my current role as a patient advocate, and leader in the cervical cancer patient advocacy space. It certainly wasn’t a goal of mine, but I just created what I wished I’d had. This “work” has been life-changing, fulfilling, difficult, triggering, and yet one of the greatest joys of my life. I’m proud of what we’ve built together as a community. My dedication to our cause is greater than ever before.

The last few years have been challenging to say the least. We’ve weathered so much together, and now we can include an ongoing pandemic to that list. During the pandemic we kept the community going with virtual events. In fact, it was during one of those virtual events that I met someone so very special from our community, Ginny Marable.

Ginny joined us for several events and was even a speaker at our September 2020 Cervical Cancer Summit. While I was learning more about Ginny, unbeknownst to me, she was also learning more about me. She saw my true desire to be a mom, and the heartbreak that it would probably never happen due to my hysterectomy.

Fast forward: Ginny and her husband Sean began their path to parenthood via a gestational carrier. She shared their beautiful journey with us as a community, as well as on social media. When her twin boys were born, I was so elated for them, but if I’m honest, I also felt that familiar ping that I would never experience that moment. But I was just so happy for her, that feeling of sadness was fleeting.

Another short fast forward: Ginny reached out to me for a phone conversation. Never in my wildest dreams could I have known how that call would have changed my life. I mean, I haven’t even met Ginny in person – only through our virtual space. So, I’d like to make June even more memorable by sharing with my Cervivor community at large that Ginny is giving me an exceptional gift that I never imagined could be bestowed on me – motherhood.

Ginny has simply taken the power and love of this community to an entirely different level. We shared our unique story with Insider and you can read about it here.

My hope is that you will feel all the love, and our “Cervivor Spark”. But simply, thank you, Ginny!

With Love and Gratitude,

Tamika Felder
Chief Visionary, Cervivor, Inc. 
21-year Cervivor
Mom-to-be