Beyond the Ribbon: Stories of Dual Cervical and Breast Cancer Survivors Uniting the Fight

By Sara Lyle-Ingersoll, Cervivor Communications Director

October’s pink wave for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) has swept in, and January’s teal and white for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) will be here soon enough—both sharing life-saving knowledge about two unnecessarily deadly diseases. These awareness months, colors, and causes matter. But at Cervivor, we hold to a core truth: Cancer doesn’t care about ribbons, and neither should survivorship. We’ve all heard the gut-punch words, “You have cancer,” faced the fear, and endured the fight.

Rather than keeping awareness siloed, let’s use this moment to embrace solidarity—especially among women affected by breast, cervical, and other gynecologic cancers. Cervivor recently wrapped up Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM), packed with programming to highlight our shared stories and strengthen the collective community.

This unity is practical, too. Early detection and equitable care save lives. Learn the key facts about breast, cervical, and other gynecologic cancers, and be inspired by dual survivor stories that bring the statistics to life.

Breast and Below-the-Belt Cancers in 2025: Key Facts and the Importance of Screening Programs

  • Breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women, with about 316,950 new invasive cases in women and 2,800 in men expected in 2025, plus about 59,080 DCIS cases. Roughly 1 in 8 women (13.1 percent) face a lifetime diagnosis, and 1 in 43 (2.3 percent) a risk of death. Tragically, about 42,170 women and 510 men are expected to die this year.

  • Cervical cancer, though less common and preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening, remains devastating. About 13,360 new invasive cases and 4,320 deaths are projected in 2025, with an incidence of 7.7 per 100,000 women and a mortality of 2.2 per 100,000. Underserved communities are hit hardest due to access barriers.

  • Other gynecologic cancers—including ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar cancers—add over 110,000 new cases annually. Across all these diagnoses, early intervention is key.

To address these disparities, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) has been providing free or low-cost mammograms and Pap tests to underserved women across all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories since 1991. The program has helped detect thousands of cases early, contributing to a 43 percent drop in breast cancer mortality since 1989 and a 75 percent decline in cervical cancer rates since Pap tests became widespread.

Despite these successes, challenges like rural access gaps, cultural stigma, and other barriers remain—making programs like NBCCEDP even more vital for ensuring equity in cancer prevention and care. As funding debates continue, now is the time to urge policymakers to prioritize consistent support for these lifesaving screening programs. Contact your state and federal representatives today.

Voices in the Fight: Stories of Shared Dual Breast and Cervical Cancer Survivorship

Below are three voices from the Cervivor community—all dual cervical and breast cancer survivors—who embody solidarity across ribbon lines:

Kadiana Vegee
“My journey has shaped me, but it hasn’t broken me,” shares Cervivor Ambassador Kadiana Vegee, who has spoken candidly on CervivorTV. Diagnosed with stage III cervical cancer and later testing positive for the BRCA1 mutation, she underwent a preventative double mastectomy. Her story bridges cervical and breast cancer advocacy, and she continues to champion screening, HPV awareness, and genetic testing—especially in underserved communities.

Karen North
A nurse by training and a long-time Cervivor Ambassador and Cervivor Pride leader, Karen was first diagnosed with breast cancer, then 18 months later received a cervical cancer diagnosis. Her lived intersection fuels her advocacy: She often shares both journeys in Cervivor forums, events, and blog posts.

Laura Lemons
Laura, a 2019 Cervivor School graduate, speaks powerfully about stigma and interconnected cancer awareness. Her voice is one of resilience across the divisions of “above-belt” and “below-belt” cancers, sharing, “We cannot stop talking about breast and cervical cancer… We are the warriors, the survivors, and the thrivers.”

Together, the words and experiences of these Cervivor community members—and their powerful dual cancer survivor stories—highlight the common thread that unites us.

Support the Solidarity: Double Your Impact Today

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s blur those ribbon lines. If you’re moved to donate to breast cancer causes, we ask you to match it with a gift to Cervivor—helping us eliminate cervical cancer through education, advocacy, and community. 

Your support powers prevention and early detection education, amplifies survivor stories like those shared here, and stands in solidarity with every cancer patient—past, present, and future. Donate now and be the link in our chain of solidarity. Because no ribbon should stand alone.

About the Author

SARA LYLE-INGERSOLL is a seasoned content and communications expert dedicated to transforming lived experiences into impactful stories. Her award-winning magazine feature about a close friend who passed from cervical cancer in their twenties led her to connect with Cervivor’s founder, Tamika Felder, and solidified her commitment to cervical cancer awareness and prevention. Now, as Cervivor’s Communications Director, Sara brings this mission full circle. Her previous roles include Editor-in-Chief of The Finder in Singapore, Deputy Editor at Woman’s Day, Lifestyle Director at Good Housekeeping, and Senior Editor at Jane Magazine. Based in Denver, she is a boy mom of a blended family and enjoys good food, travel, and all the sunsets.

Cervivor Founder: A Voice for Cervical Cancer Survivors and Health Equity This Black Philanthropy Month

When Tamika Felder founded Cervivor, Inc., in 2005, she wasn’t trying to build a national nonprofit with global reach. She was simply navigating her own cervical cancer diagnosis and determined that no woman should feel as alone as she once did.

Today, as Founder and Chief Visionary of Cervivor, Tamika leads an international movement to eliminate cervical cancer and confront health disparities—especially those affecting women of color.

During Black Philanthropy Month—and on Give 8/28, a national day dedicated to uplifting Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits—Tamika’s story is a powerful reminder of how Black leaders are driving change in health equity and advocacy. For her, the day is rooted in pride and visibility. “I’ve always been a part of community service,” she says, reflecting on the example set by her parents. “There are so many Black organizations doing incredible work, but they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. Give 8/28 is a day to say we’re proud to lead these organizations.”

Here, Tamika shares her wisdom and advice for others—whether you’re launching a nonprofit or fighting for access to quality healthcare for all.

Finding Her ‘Why’ and Reclaiming Her Voice

One of Tamika’s guiding messages as a leader and survivor is the importance of finding your “why”—the driving force behind your advocacy work and passion. For her, that “why” was born during cancer treatment and its aftermath, as she grieved the sudden end of her career as an up-and-coming broadcast journalist in Washington, D.C., and the loss of her fertility. “Little by little, the trauma had less of a hold on my life, and I began to embrace the possibilities that life beyond cancer could hold,” she says.

A pivotal moment came when she was asked to testify in support of a Maryland law to safeguard parenthood for young adult cancer patients. “Through tears and shaky hands, I shared my story with legislators, and it made a difference,” she recalls. The Protect Parenthood law was ultimately passed in 2018. Since then, Tamika has continued to use her powerful voice—speaking on Presidential Panels and global stages, serving on national roundtables, and appearing in award-winning documentaries and major publications.

“Black Philanthropy Month is about increasing visibility for Black-led nonprofits,” she says. “Some people might look at Cervivor and think, ‘Well, it already has great visibility.’ But until cervical cancer is eliminated, it will always need more.”

Centering Health Equity

Tamika has always been clear: While the mission of Cervivor is universal—cervical cancer prevention and elimination—the path forward must address inequities that disproportionately affect Black and brown women. And she doesn’t mince words about why health equity is central to her work. “We know that there are disparity gaps in this space, and that people of color, especially Black and brown women, are falling through those gaps at a higher incidence,” she explains.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. With the HPV vaccine, Pap tests, HPV testing, and now self-collection options, the prevention tools exist to save lives. Yet Black women continue to face higher rates of diagnosis and death. Tamika believes part of the solution lies in representation: survivors telling their own stories and trusted messengers bringing information to their communities.

The image is a graphic featuring a quote and a photograph. The quote, displayed on the left side of the image, reads: "MY LEGACY WOULDN'T BE THE LIVES I BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD. IT WAS GOING TO BE THE LIVES THAT I SAVED." The text is presented in a large, bold font, with the words "MY LEGACY," "WAS GOING TO BE THE," and "LIVES THAT I SAVED" in teal, and "WOULDN'T BE THE," "LIVES I BROUGHT," and "IT" in red and orange.
To the right of the quote is a photograph of a group of eight women, all wearing white or light-colored shirts with the word "cervivor" printed on them. They are seated on two white couches, arranged in a conversational manner. The background of the photograph features a wood-paneled wall adorned with a large piece of artwork.
At the bottom-right corner of the image, three logos are visible. The first logo, situated closest to the photograph, reads "cervivor" in teal text, accompanied by the tagline "informed. empowered. alive." in smaller text below. The second logo, positioned to the right of the first, displays the name "Tamika Felder" in orange text. The overall design of the image suggests that it may be related to a campaign or organization focused on cervical cancer awareness or support.
Cervivor Noir community members at last year’s Cervical Cancer Patient Advocacy Retreat For Communities of Color in Cleveland, OH.

“When I first started sharing my story, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me,” she says. “Every time I see a Black woman sharing their story and sharing the correct scientific information behind cervical cancer, it makes me feel really, really proud.”

The Power of Patient Stories

Tamika has built Cervivor around the conviction that data alone is not enough. “We gave the data, but we didn’t tell the story,” a researcher once told her. That insight reshaped her advocacy.

“You hear all the time that patient stories are important, but I uniquely got it,” Tamika reflects. “My story makes a difference. The hard parts of my story that I may not want to talk about can make a difference. ”From Cleveland to Rwanda, Cervivor has seen an impact by uplifting patient voices. At a Cleveland Clinic event, Cervivor ensured that “no one was left out of the screening” by providing culturally specific support through Cervivor Español and Cervivor Noir.

These stories matter because they reveal the lived reality of surviving cervical cancer—the hysterectomies, infertility, ostomies, and lifelong side effects often invisible to the public. “If we just let the general population tell it, well, you survived it, you’re doing fine. But I don’t look like what I’ve been through,” Tamika says.

Building Trust and Representation

Trust is everything in underserved communities, and Tamika insists on meeting people where they are. “I go to those communities. If I don’t go myself, someone from my organization goes. We talk to them. We build trust,” she says.

Representation plays a central role in Cervivor’s impact. Tamika works to ensure that photos, videos, and programs reflect diverse survivors. “I never want anyone not to see themselves,” she explains. “There’s something special to be said by connecting with people who’ve gone through what you’ve gone through.”

Resilience and Self-Care in Leadership

Running a nonprofit rooted in lived trauma is deeply personal work, and Tamika is candid about the toll. “There are points where it’s going to be really hard, but when you’re really committed to this work, you’ll find a way to keep going,” she says.

The image is a collage of 84 headshots of women, arranged in six rows, with a light blue background that gradually darkens towards the top. The headshots are presented in white-bordered boxes, each containing a photo of a woman and her name, along with her birth and death years. The women depicted are diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, and attire. At the bottom of the image, the text "WITH CERVIVOR, THEY LIVE ON #ENDCERVICALCANCER" is displayed in white, accompanied by the Cervivor logo in the bottom-right corner. The overall tone of the image is somber, as it appears to be a tribute to women who have passed away from cervical cancer.

Tamika with Lisa Simms Booth, Executive Director of the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

As a survivor herself, every death in the community is another wound. “It’s another person who’s died from a preventable disease, and so I have to really practice self-care around that,” she shares. Surrounding herself with other Black women nonprofit leaders helps her carry the weight. “It’s a very hard time, not only for nonprofits, but nonprofits run by Black women. Knowing that you’re not alone helps it be manageable.”

Standing Firm on Equity

Even as some organizations shy away from terms like “DEI” or “health equity” in response to political pressures, Tamika refuses to dilute Cervivor’s mission. “Just because we change and don’t call a thing a thing doesn’t mean that we don’t experience it,” she says. “We’ve already had a funder not fund us because of our Communities of Color retreat. And I’m not going to change the name of it. No one is going to die from cervical cancer on my watch.”

Her vision is clear: to leave behind a legacy of courage, visibility, and unrelenting advocacy.

A Legacy of Hope and Action

What began as one woman’s way to not feel alone has become a global movement of survivors, advocates, and educators. Tamika is proud of how Cervivor has connected patients, clinicians, community workers, and researchers. “We’ve inspired patients, educated clinicians, and shifted the narrative around cervical cancer,” she says.

On Black Philanthropy Day, her journey reminds us that philanthropy is not just about giving money—it’s about giving voice, visibility, and leadership. Tamika embodies all three, leading with resilience and purpose to ensure that no one falls through the gaps in the fight against cervical cancer.

Support the Mission

This Black Philanthropy Month, we invite you to support Tamika’s vision and Cervivor’s mission to end cervical cancer through advocacy, education, and community. Here’s how you can take action:  

  • Give $20 on 8/28: As part of Cervivor’s year-long Tell 20, Give 20 campaign, your $20 donation will directly support a Black-led nonprofit committed to health equity for all. 
  • Engage with Cervivor: Follow us on social media, share our posts, and help amplify the voices of cervical cancer survivors and advocates. Your engagement builds awareness, strengthens our community, and inspires action.
  • Attend Cervivor Events: From Cervivor School and monthly virtual meetups to the next Cervical Cancer Summit—your presence makes a difference. Show up, speak out, and stand with us.