Elephants and Tea - One Herd - 4

Our Voices
Voices of Resilience
NAVIGATING LIFE AS A YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVOR
BY YOLANDA MURPHY
Don't get me wrong, I believe women in
general are some of the fiercest, strongest
beings on the planet. However, in the Black
community, coming from such oppressed
people can push you to keep pressing on,
despite how you feel.
To me, One Herd symbolizes honesty,
complexities, emotion, and the unadulterated
truth when it comes to telling our
story-the story of why difference matters
in the young adult cancer space. Whether
it be an invisible disability, autism, being a
part of the LGBTQ+ community, or being
a Black or Brown survivor, we all have a
unique story to tell. While some may not
be ready to hear what we have to say, our
stories still matter, and they have the power
to inspire others to create change for those
who look and move like us.
As a fellow young adult African AmerI
4
can't
count how many times during my year of
active treatment that I felt isolated and alone. I
didn't have any clinical staff, including doctors
and nurses, who looked like me-let alone were
my age. When Nick and I started working on One Herd, it
became clear that more voices and stories needed to be heard.
Over the years, I have unfortunately
heard the phrase " you look good " more
times than I care to admit, despite my cancer
diagnosis and journey. If I am totally
honest, in the Black community, the Black
woman has always been a beacon of hope,
light, and endurance. It was no different in
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ONE HERD ISSUE 2025
my family. Both sides of my family were-
and still are-filled with Black women who
have faced the unthinkable, some of which
they will never speak about, yet continue
to provide for their families, nurture their
children, hold down one or more jobs, and
rise each morning to do it all over again.
ican breast cancer survivor, I knew that
once I finished my year of active treatment,
I wanted to make a difference in my community.
I knew that because I didn't see
many people who looked like me, I wanted
to create those spaces for others who would
be diagnosed after me. It wasn't enough to
get through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy,
and radiation. I wanted to ensure that no
other young adult patient, especially Black
paients, had to face what I did during my
breast cancer journey. It was lonely and
daunting, to say the least.
In the years following my active treatment,
I made sure to connect with organizations
that aligned with my mission:
to become a " super advocate " for anyone
who identified as I did, ensuring they had
the resources and education they needed
to navigate their cancer journeys as best
http://www.ELEPHANTSANDTEA.ORG
Elephants and Tea - One Herd

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