MY LIFE Matters - Spring 2024 - 1

LETTER FROM MAIMAH KARMO Conversation
MY LIFE MATTERS
I
have looked death in the face on more than one occasion.
I've escaped three wars, I've been held at gunpoint,
and I've been hit by lightning when I was 12 years
old. When I was 15, my father put me on a plane
scared and alone-I was the first in my family to
escape war torn Liberia to a new world, a new home,
and a new life in America. My family, like so many
other immigrants, had hopes for a brighter future.
We were determined, and I had a dream and felt
empowered to do great things in my life.
When I came to the U.S., I thought OK,
there's no guns, there's no war, I'm free
from all this struggle and turmoil. But
when I was diagnosed, I thought, oh
my God, the war is inside of me. And
I can't run from the war, I can't get
on a plane and escape. There has
been nothing I have experienced
that has been more life-altering
than being diagnosed with breast
cancer at the age of 32. I am
about to celebrate 18 years of
survivorship, and I have learned
that cancer didn't make me a
survivor―I always was.
I love being alive, and I love
the strength that blossomed from
within me as I journeyed through
cancer. I was honored to be seen
as a survivor, but then again, I'd
always been one. Cancer didn't give
me anything I didn't already have inside
of me-I am my own superhero, and you
are one too. We all love superheroes. Some
favorites, like Wonder Woman or Superman,
were seemingly ordinary people who when
faced with challenges, took on super-human
powers and accomplished extraordinary
things. The famous comic book writer, Stan
Lee, says that to be a superhero, you need
a power more exceptional than any power
a normal human being could possess. The
real beauty is that none of us were born to
be normal. We're here to accomplish extraordinary things, to be
our own superheroes, and when we become EmPOWERED,
the multiplication and coming together of this power of
one can become the power of many.
This issue is a tribute to that hero that lives within
each of us and the energy we create when we become a
collective in community, supporting each other, learning
together, and lifting each other up. Together we can
be unstoppable, empowered, and change the future of
healthcare. When I created the ANGEL Program so
many years ago, that was the vision-with education
and empowerment, each of us can create a living legacy
that would change lives for the better. Tigerlily Foundation
created the Advocate Now to Grow, Empower,
and Lead (ANGEL) Advocacy Training Program to
end disparities of age, stage, and color in cancer,
educating women to be their best advocates, know
their body, know their health, and to improve
health outcomes for themselves, their family,
and in their communities. Our ANGELs
are then equipped to get involved as
advisors in clinical trials. They are
prepared to get involved in policy,
science, and research, as well as
community outreach and education,
and this is just the
beginning. Through this framework
of community engagement, we are
making a difference by influencing family,
community, and systems, and working toward improved
health outcomes where we live, work, play,
and pray. The ANGEL Advocate Program has grown
nationwide and is now growing globally.
For each ANGEL, advocate, partner, supporter,
and individual who has become empowered to help
improve patient's outcomes, I am eternally grateful.
To Elephants and Tea in this 10th publication, it is
such a joy to be able to inspire, empower, and connect
communities through storytelling with you.
Now, let's go be epic!
With all my love,
Maimah
MY LIFE MATTERS
EMPOWERED | SPRING 2024
1
https://www.tigerlilyfoundation.org/programs/angel/
MY LIFE Matters - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters - Spring 2024
