I share this to show how quickly life can change, and how easily assumptions and misdiagnosis can happen within healthcare. This diagnosis taught me a lot. The importance of a healthy lifestyle, balance in what you do, the need and ability to advocate for yourself, being young with cancer, being a mom with cancer, the inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of black women. But most importantly, that life is more than what you can see. I knew that I wanted to make this chapter count for something more than my individual journey. As I put in the time to treat, heal, and evolve, I realized that the constant that really carried me through my hardest days was my village who celebrated the small milestones in my treatment journey and helped me to find moments of joy in so many ways. 

And today, I am so excited for the future of Spectrum. An idea that was born out of a personal journey, passion for my community and the health and happiness of black women. Through this glassware, we’re not only celebrating our moments of joy, we are also shining more light around the needed conversations to impact change for black women’s health.

Cheers to more life