During the peak of Covid-19 in 2020, I was diagnosed with two areas of Breast Cancer within the same breast, which led to me having a Double Mastectomy. I am still healing from the process which included four surgeries, to include an emergency surgery due to an at fault provider who had lied to me. I received devastating news from my visiting nurse a day after the emergency surgery, that the surgery was required to remove the tumor that was left in my breast after my Double Mastectomy. I had no knowledge that the tumor had been forgotten by the surgeon, so this news was a shock to me. The original surgeon had told me that the emergency surgery was to remove a forgotten clip, not a forgotten tumor. Since my personal cancer scare, I have decided to be the “messenger”.

My mission is to continue to strive to bring awareness to our communities, assist other individuals who have been diagnosed and may be feeling lost, lonely, or depressed during these life changing transitions. From start to the “prayerful finish” there is so much involved from radiology scans, chemotherapy sessions, office visits, etc. While enduring these events, you’re heading on this roller coaster ride of emotions while trying to keep sane with the “chemo brain” and pain from neuropathy in the feet and/or hands. Some individuals are fortunate to have family, friends, and clinicians who are there during all of these times while others lack any support or just may be at a standstill because they have yet to disclose this medical condition.

This has led me to start my 501(c)(3) non-profit “Tears to A Smile Against Titty Cancer” a foundation to support MAMMOGRAM Awareness beginning in the month of August. My dream is to eventually make August the national Mammogram Awareness Month. TTAS Against Titty Cancer's mission is to bring awareness to the importance of her/his/their yearly MAMMOGRAM, while providing a makeover to build confidence for the first oncologist appointment. We also focus on obtaining donations and funding to support the cause of hardship! Our non-profit also has a dream of being able to provide angel flights for Breast Cancer patients to fly to oncology consultations through the help of future sponsors. 

You may be wondering why the word “Titty” rather than using breast? Growing up in South Carolina with my grandmother, you would never hear her say that she had breasts. As a child I always heard her say “Ow, my titties hurt!”. The only time she would use the word breast was at the dinner table when she asked someone to “pass me that chicken breast”. Now that I am older, I follow in my grandmother’s steps in calling my chest my titties. I’m not a hen! Unfortunately, cancer took mine and I was never given the chance to ring the bell to signify that I beat Titty Cancer!

Since I’ve begun spreading the news of “don’t forget your mammogram” to most people I encounter, I have found that most people don’t know what a mammogram is and how life saving they can be. Most times the individuals will awkwardly laugh when I give my message but once I tell them how I lost both of my titties to Breast Cancer due to a late mammogram, their face always drops in shock. They then proceed to question me about what a mammogram is and how one would be able to access it. Through these conversations I’ve also had the opportunity to meet loved ones of those who have been diagnosed, passed away, or have been in remission for Breast Cancer in individuals as young as 25-29. Most of these stories include how the patient had no idea that they were living with Breast Cancer due to it being a symptomless illness. People have told me that they are not receiving their mammogram scans due to their insurance not covering yearly mammograms, which leads me to insist that these individuals seek additional information from their insurance about the plan they have selected. I was also shocked to find out how many brothers and sons have fallen victim to this cancer as well. I feel that there are too many people, especially women, out in the world that lack the knowledge of acting on having their annual mammograms to possibly save their titties and/or life. Besides bringing awareness to mammograms, I have decided to question young woman as young as the age of 15 about whether their doctor has taught them how to do a self-breast exam since that is a form of early detection for breast cancer. The results of my informal survey have shown that 9 out of 10 times these ladies have zero knowledge on how to perform this exam which is a disservice to the health of the general public.

I put such an emphasis on Mammogram awareness because my stage two cancer diagnosis could’ve been caught much sooner if I hadn’t experienced medical neglect when it came to receiving my periodical mammogram. Initially my clinic rescheduled my appointment, but then I requested for a sooner appointment due to discovering a lump in my breast. I eventually called the clinic three times and received no response from them to get my appointment scheduled. A few months later the lump progressed to a growth that was seen visibly out of my titty and I’d yet to receive medical attention. This led to my aggressive tactics of demanding to see my PCP for an analysis of my condition. My PCP then filed a complaint of negligence against my clinic due to the mistreatment that I had experienced. My case was then escalated by the clinic’s administration due to the severity of my case which had previously been ignored. Once administration got involved, I was granted a mammogram 24 hours after the complaint and an ultrasound 48 hours afterwards. A week later, I had a biopsy scheduled to investigate whether I had a cancerous tumor or not. On August 18, 2020, while in the middle of receiving a Covid swab, I recognized the phone number and asked for my Covid testing to be paused. When I answered the call, I received the devastating words of “Angella, you have Breast Cancer” which triggered a waterfall from my eyes. My automatic response was that “You have the wrong f-ing number”. 

Support my 501 (c)(3) non-profit "Tears To A Smile Against Titty Cancer" to bring Awareness of Mammograms to our Communities and to help victims of Breast Cancer facing hardship. Titty Cancer is usually symptomless and does not discriminate. You may be wondering why the word “Titty” rather than using breast? Growing up in South Carolina with my grandmother, you would never hear her say that she had breasts. As a child I always heard her say “Ow, my titties hurt!”. The only time she would use the word breast was at the dinner table when she asked someone to “pass me that chicken breast”. Now that I am older, I follow in my grandmother’s steps in calling my chest my titties. I’m not a hen! Unfortunately, cancer took mine and I was never given the chance to ring the bell to signify that I beat Titty Cancer!

                                        Something must be done!