Cervical Cancer Survivor
Tamika's Story
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I was 25 when I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and it rocked my world. I was terrified I’d die. Luckily, I didn’t, but it changed my life in many ways.
I had more than one “second” opinion, and all the doctors assured me that they saw this diagnosis all the time. If that was true, why hadn’t I heard of it? That was all the incentive I needed. I felt that someone needed to survive this disease and come out okay on the other side. Two years later, I began publicly sharing my story. Two years after that, I founded Cervivor in 2005.
The hardest part of having cervical cancer was losing my fertility. You hear the word “cancer,” and you’re swooped into this world where you’re forced to make these hard, life-changing decisions. I was focused on my career as a TV producer but had always hoped to have children later. I looked into fertility preservation, but it was very expensive. And, although I had good health insurance, none of the procedures were covered. As a result, I didn’t do any type of fertility preservation.
After I was married, I tried to have a biological baby. It didn’t happen, and I told myself that it would be okay. I would be childless, that’s just the way it would be. But I have a happy twist to my story. One of our Cervivors had just completed her family by using embryos she had preserved. She felt like I’d given so much of my life to the cervical cancer space that she wanted to do something for me. She gave me an incredible gift – her remaining embryos.
I can’t imagine my life without our Cervivor Baby, as his Cervivor Aunties dubbed him. He’s two years old, wonderful and full of energy. But I still mourn the biological child I couldn’t have, and it doesn’t have to be that way. That’s why Cervivor partners with organizations that focus on protecting parenthood for adolescents and young adults. We also strive to ensure access to medical care and insurance coverage for people when they need them most, and we will continue the ongoing effort to ensure every state has laws that protect fertility for women and men in these situations.
