Tamika Felder was only 25 years old when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

She worked as a news producer in Washington, D.C., and had no health concerns. But that quickly changed when she was diagnosed with Stage 2A cervical cancer.

“After not being screened for cervical cancer for a few years due to several factors, including lack of insurance, I was finally screened after obtaining health insurance through a new job. So, essentially, it was found after a routine screening,” she told Everyday Health.

Felder considered undergoing in vitro fertilization to start a family, but her insurance provider rejected her request because she was single and not actively trying to conceive. Unfortunately, it meant she needed a radical hysterectomy — she could no longer have children.

Devastated, she started Tamika and Friends in 2005 to educate and empower cervical cancer patients, survivors, and advocates. In 2014, Cervivor was born — a multi-stakeholder company, which includes a school.

The non-profit organization provides information, raises awareness of the condition, reduces stigma, and aids in the search for treatment.

Graduates of the Cervivor School work with major institutions like the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the President's Cancer Panel, the National Cervical Cancer Roundtable of the American Cancer Society, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to break barriers and stigma on cervical cancer prevention.

According to a study published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Black women are 41 per cent more likely to develop cervical cancer than white women and 75 per cent more likely to die from it.

“My treatment and care were very good. But I’ve heard horror stories and seen firsthand how Black women are treated and how we are not seen or heard,” Felder told Everyday Health. “I was lucky that I ended up with a great care team. There are instances where the system failed me in terms of fertility preservation, but my care team at Johns Hopkins gave me excellent care. It’s why I’ve done so well after cancer treatment.”

She advises women to get screened, ask questions, advocate for themselves, and seek support, especially for mental health.

In January, the company rang the closing bell on Nasdaq in honour of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM).