In 2010 Chika Okem Akwiwu, a.k.a “The African Barbie”, first encountered breast cancer. She was 36 years old, married, and the mother of four children (1 boy and 3 girls at the time), a nursing student and a caregiver to her aged parents.  Facing breast cancer in 2010 was very difficult with everything she had going on. Information about breast cancer was available especially during the month of October but not effectively reaching the population that needed it the most.

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Many women today with the overload of information and technology feel overwhelmed and not in touch. Some feel the idea of breast cancer is farfetched and not likely to affect them especially with no family history.

Unfortunately, I was among that group. Because of different variables, many women are not well informed about breast cancer diagnosis or the decisions they must make during treatment. Some women rely completely on their physicians to make the right decisions without understanding the impact of their options.  The advocacy by her primary care physician Dr. Jacqueline Walters who was a two-time breast cancer survivor, discovered the lump in her breast through a mammogram that she ordered since the lump was not palpable. The result of her advocacy was an early diagnosis of breast cancer, which led to a mastectomy one of the best decisions she ever made.

Years later, she became cancer free she has become an ambassador, advocate, nurse and nurse practitioner advocating for other women’s health.  The African Barbie attributes her survival to early detection which is the foundation of her advocacy.