Gwendolyn Jackson

Meet Cervivor’s Newest Patient Advocacy Award Winners

At the recent Cervivor School 2024 – celebrating its 10th year as a one-of-a-kind patient advocate training program – the following five Cervivor community members were honored with patient advocacy awards, recognizing their leadership and commitment to the urgent cause to end cervical cancer.

Read on to hear what they had to say about receiving these unique patient advocacy awards — some of which honor the legacy of Cervivor community members who are no longer with us — and why our Founder and Chief Visionary Tamika Felder believes they are so deserving.

Cervivor Champion Award – Lindsay Gullatte-Lee


Why She Won: “Lindsay checks all the boxes of a Cervivor Champion,” says Tamika about this coveted patient advocacy award. “She’s great at sharing the patient experience, fundraising, and much more. She understands the importance of closing health inequalities and has used her survivorship to help make that happen.”

What She Says: “The reason I do this is so no one else suffers this disease alone. Everyone should have the facts about cervical cancer prevention and it’s important that our voices as patients are heard. I was completely shocked to win! I felt seen, heard, supported, and loved. I’m still healing but forever grateful to the Cervivor community for all its support. I found my people, and I’m just happy to give back a little of everything they’ve given me.”

Brittany Wagner Social Media Advocacy Award – Christy Basa Chambers


Why She Won: “Christy is so deserving of this award because she shows up and shares her vulnerability – the good, the not-so-good, and everything in between,” says Tamika about Christy, whose personal hashtag is #choosinghopedaily. “More importantly, she provides crucial information to encourage people to get screened and vaccinated, and we know that visibility is key to our cause. Christy truly understands what community means and spreads a message of hope across all social media platforms and in person.” 

What She Says: “When I was first diagnosed, I felt very alone. It would have been easy to lose hope, but life with and after Stage 4 cancer is possible! I have made it my mission to foster hope and joy in others who are struggling. If my online content can encourage someone to visit the Cervivor website, get vaccinated, schedule a screening, or learn more about HPV and cervical cancer, then I know I’ve made an impact.”

Erica Frazier Stum Living Life with Cancer Award – Gwendolyn “Gwen” Jackson


Why She Won: “No one is more deserving than Gwen, who is helping others while in the midst of fighting for her life,” says Tamika about this award named after an inspiring late member of the Cervivor community and honors a particularly passionate patient advocate who is thriving despite battling cancer.

What She Says: “This award means so much to me because of Erica Frazier Strum’s legacy,” says Gwen, who was unable to walk up to receive the patient advocacy award due to pain from her treatment, prompting a standing ovation from the Cervivor School attendees. “It inspires me to continue striving for excellence and contributing to the cause in her memory. I believe that individuals never pass if their names are still spoken in rooms. I will make sure her name is spoken in every room I enter.”

Cervivor Spark Award – Tiera Wade


Why She Won: “Tiera has shown incredible dedication and passion toward Cervivor’s mission to end cervical cancer,” affirms Tamika about this motivated and motivational patient advocate “Her commitment shines through in everything she does: from volunteering her time to support our organization, to enthusiastically sharing vital information about cervical cancer within her community.”

What She Says: “To know that cervical cancer is preventable with proper screening drives me to empower others to prioritize their health – because they are worth it. This award was the God-sent confirmation that there is still work to do,” says Tiera of the honor. “My spark was reignited!”

Cervivor Rising Star Award – Claudia Pérez-Favela


Why She Won: “Claudia is all in, and she’s already doing incredible work – not only within the Hispanic community but also in the broader effort to end cervical cancer,” says Tamika. “If this is what she’s achieving right out of the gate, I can’t wait to see what she does next.”

What She Says: “The stigma surrounding gynecological cancers in the Latinx community drives my advocacy. It’s crucial because cervical cancer and HPV are preventable, and treatment is much more effective when caught early.”

Thank you to these dedicated advocates for amplifying the patient voice in everything they do, inspiring hope, resilience, and action in our collective mission to end cervical cancer. They embody the spirit of the Cervivor community and demonstrate the importance and power of sharing the stories of those affected by this disease.

Join the Movement

If you’re inspired by these patient advocate award winners work, consider becoming an advocate yourself. Here are ways to get involved:

  • Share Your Story: On the Cervivor website, write a blog post, or post on social media about your experience with cervical cancer and tag Cervivor!
  • Volunteer: Help organize events, participate in awareness campaigns, or support local initiatives.
  • Fundraise: Support our non-profit’s mission of empowerment, education, advocacy, and support.
  • Join the conversation on social media using #Cervivor and #EndCervicalCancer.

Together, we can create a future where cervical cancer is no longer a threat, and every patient has access to the care and support they deserve. Thank you again to Lindsay, Christy, Gwen, Tiera, and Claudia for shining bright as pillars of strength in the mission to end cervical cancer.

My Legacy, My Cervivor Footprint…In my Community

Cervivor is committed to closing the disparity gaps that have plagued communities of color for decades. In an effort to close those gaps, Cervivor invited cervical cancer patients and survivors from around the United States to participate in the Cervical Cancer Patient Advocacy Retreat for Communities of Color in our nation’s capitol, Washington D.C.

Why is this so important to our mission?
Research shows that while the rate of cervical cancer has been declining for decades in the U.S., health disparities persist. Hispanic women have the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer, followed by non-Hispanic Black women. Additionally, Black women are more likely to die from the disease than women of any other race or ethnicity. 

So, what is the consistent theme with these health disparities?
The consistent theme for these health disparities are health literacy and trust within the communities of color. As we navigated these themes, Cervivor ensured that each attendee:

  • Had a safe place to share their struggles, hurdles, and concerns in reference to their community and cervical cancer.
  • Was provided with information concerning cervical cancer, treatments, and screening. 
  • Understood their role as a trustworthy change agent in their community.
  • Embraced the opportunity to learn from various speakers and their fellow survivors about how they could utilize their voices to end cervical cancer in their community.
  • Developed a strategic plan to impact their communities specifically.
  • Made a commitment to assist in closing the cervical cancer disparity gap in their community.

It’s imperative that those impacted by cervical cancer have the knowledge and empowerment to lead the charge in changing the narrative for communities of color. Read the personal testimonies from a few of the attendees and the progress they have made since the retreat below.

Gwendolyn shares her thoughts on what this retreat meant to her:

“The Community of Color Retreat had great impact on my life and I have not been the same since. The moment I arrived at the retreat, I noticed everything was planned with so much love and hope, and personalized for us as a collective but also individually as well. We cried, we laughed, we learned, we inspired each other, we listened, and we gained confidence and much knowledge to not only advocate for ourselves but for others as well – within our families, jobs, and communities.“

Since the retreat, Gwendolyn has been instrumental in planning the National Patient Advocacy Awareness Day event with other Houston Cervivors and in co-leading an upcoming health fair for cervical cancer awareness.

Rosalinda shares her insights:

“For many of us, conversations easily continued into dinner, late evening, and early morning coffee meet-ups! We were clearly vibing and opening up to be vulnerable, witnessing and holding space for each other. Native American, African American, Asian, and Latina cervical cancer survivor’s coming together to listen, share, teach, and support each other was a powerful experience! My heart is filled with gratitude for how effortlessly this all unfolded. My most precious take away? Tamika’s loving challenge that following the retreat we step up and use our talents, abilities, gifts, unique perspectives to Do Something small or big, to end cervical cancer.“

After her retreat experience, Rosalinda has jumped in on National Patient Advocacy Day planning, joined as a Cervivor Español Outreach Committee Member, and continues to set goals for reaching low-income populations to ensure they have access to education, screening, and cancer prevention resources.

Janice gave us her thoughts too:

“Hope – grounds for believing that something good will happen. This retreat provided a breadth of information about studies on cervical cancer, as well as how to raise awareness in our communities. Discussing the health disparities across the nation opened my eyes that more needs to be done and that we need to be able to have open, sometimes uncomfortable dialogue to inform others so that they do not have to go through the same things that we did.”

Following the retreat, Janice has been spreading awareness about HPV and cervical cancer through various tabling events at her local college campus and by helping Cervivor raise funds during an early 2023 Kendra Scott Gives Back event.

Although the retreat has ended, the work does not stop. Each attendee made the commitment as a Cervivor Patient Advocate to assist in closing the cervical cancer disparity gap; by creating a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion which includes supporting, educating, and motivating their communities that have been affected by cervical cancer.

It’s a great reminder that each day we all have an opportunity to provoke change by elevating our voices. We hold the power to save lives for generations to come. Help us continue to shine a light on these disparities by sharing our content with your networks.

Cervivor, as an organization, authentically embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion across all aspects, ensuring that individuals from various backgrounds feel valued, respected, and represented. The organization recognizes that diversity encompasses a wide range of identities and experiences, including persons with disabilities, religious or ethnic minorities, people of color, native/Indigenous peoples, women, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Interested in learning more about future Cervical Cancer Patient Advocacy Retreats for Communities of Color? Connect with us at [email protected]!