MY LIFE Matters - Advocacy in Action - 7

her affairs. My daughter graduated from
college and went on to graduate school.
My youngest son went through a lot of
ups and downs in school. My oldest
son went through a few changes in his
career and his businesses. Throughout
my time supporting my family through
many things, I finally felt like I had to
find a purpose in my life. If felt like I
had to find God's purpose for me.
In 2022, I completed patient advocacy
training with Elevated Survivorship. In
2023, I completed advocacy training with
Tigerlily Foundation. Patient advocacy
always seemed so overwhelming. The
elevated survivorship training allowed
me to see there are different avenues
of patient advocacy that I could focus
on. By the time I completed Tigerlily
ANGEL Advocacy Training, I realized
my advocacy work needed to focus on
empowering woman through education
and social support resources. Metastatic
breast cancer is a lifelong marathon, and
I have only gotten this far through social
support groups and services.
Support groups that are diagnosis or race
specific, exercise programs, nutritional
programs, and mental health programs
have gotten me through hard times.
ADVOCACY IN ACTION The Power of Advocacy
I thought one-on-one coaching would
be good, but after a few months, I realized
I wasn't able to give the women
the attention they needed dealing with
my own treatment, side effects, family,
and life. I was using Instagram as
a platform to share information and
I decided to give that more attention
and post useful resources a few times
a week. Through Instagram and the
ANGEL Advocacy program, I can be
more effective in advocacy, working
around my family and life when it's
lifeing, LOL.
I have been able to suppor t programs
in and around my community
in research and provider education to
educate and empower woman on breast
health. Most importantly to me, I work
at sharing information about social and
financial support on Instagram with
oncology practices I am affiliated with.
Early-stage breast cancer treatment and
a metastatic diagnosis can put a woman
out of work for a short period of time
or permanently. Support groups that
are diagnosis or race specific, exercise
programs, nutritional programs, and
mental health programs have gotten
me through hard times. When I find
out about resources, I share them to
support others. The fol lowing support
organizat ions provide trusted
verified educational resources, some
provide financial support, and some
are just a support system of people who
understand:
* Tigerlily Foundation
* The Chrysalis Initiative
* For the Breast of Us
* Share Cancer Support
* Living Beyond Breast Cancer
* Project Life MBC
* Survingbreastcancer.org
* Touch Black Breast Cancer
* When We Trial
* Touch4Life
I am probably forgetting some due
to chemo brain, but support systems
like this have gotten me through the
last five and half years and lead me to
advocacy. An advocate who encouraged
me greatly is Jersi Baker, who said to
Juanita with fellow TLF Angel Advocate, LaToya Cooper in Philadelphia at Mantua Worldwide.
" Live Life Now, " and that's what I am
trying to do for myself and help others
do as well. l
MY LIFE MATTERS
ADVOCACY IN ACTION | FALL 2023
7

http://www.Survingbreastcancer.org

MY LIFE Matters - Advocacy in Action

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