In an emotional reveal, retired detention officer Melissa Lawson shared her intense battle against breast cancer, and her mission to bring awareness to the health disparities plaguing Black women. As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, Lawson received the life-altering call in February 2018, mere months after a clear mammogram, informing her of a significant lump in her breast measuring 3.2 cm.
A new doctor's thorough examination led to a surgical biopsy, which confirmed Lawson's breast cancer diagnosis. "I thank God I went to go see her when I went into the visit," she conveyed, underlining the critical role of the checkup. In an uphill struggle, highlighted by the American Cancer Society's "Voices of Black Women" study, Black women are shown to face the highest mortality rate from cancer relative to other ethnic groups, a plight all too familiar to Lawson, according to Yahoo News.
Lawson underwent a grueling 13-month chemotherapy process, which involved a potent medication colloquially known as the "Red Devil" for its severe side effects, including total hair loss. This detail, alongside other poignant aspects of her journey, was detailed in a Yahoo News article.
Now cancer-free, Lawson is dedicating her efforts to encourage other Black women to openly share their experiences through her support group, "Soul Sistahs Fighting." "We need to stop keeping this a secret and put it strongly in our community, and into our churches," she told FOX 10 Phoenix. Lawson's voice joins a choir of advocates emphasizing, the necessity of frank discourse surrounding cancer within the Black community, aiming to defy a trend of silence that may hinder early detection and treatment.
