04/11/2023
Six years ago, which still seems like yesterday to me, I was first diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer, after being misdiagnosed three times in my home country of Guinea. At the time, I worked in the banking industry that did not allow me to work remotely which would have taken my mind off my new reality that was cancer. As my mentor Bobbi and I would often laugh about now, “I looked like a lost puppy.” Through the pain, anxiety, depression, and stigma around breast cancer in my culture and “what people would say or think,” Allah SWT showed me the way. I stood strong and held on, not just for me, but for other immigrants like me. Today, in my humble opinion, the fight should be that no one should die without proper cancer care just because of their geographic location, stigma, or cultural barriers. I asked God to use me in any way he saw fit, for me to make sure that what happened to me hopefully doesn’t happen to others. I started learning, asking questions--some very uncomfortable ones at times--and finding my way forward. As destiny would have it, my two non-profits, Together Against Breast Cancer and Ensemble Contre le Cancer du Sein, were born through my efforts—the first in Rochester, MN and then in Guinea, my home country. I did this because in these two areas the realities and needs are different. If I had a choice to start over, I would not change a thing in this journey of mine because it has shaped me into who I am today. I am honored to be on the cover of the April issue of my neighborhood magazine North & East Rochester Living. I hope you can all get your hands on a copy and meet me on its pages. I am proud to be part of the Rochester Community, and I hope to be able to bring my small contribution to its betterment. Thank you all for your support for Together Against Breast Cancer. All images are Credited to Elizabeth Nida Photography/www.nidaphoto.com and tag Elizabeth Nida Obert.
