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My Living Legacy: Advocacy Born from Survival

by Shanise PearceSurvivor, Triple Negative Breast CancerJanuary 29, 2025View more posts from Shanise Pearce

Cancer doesn’t just leave—it plants itself in your mind, body, and spirit. Even after ringing the bell, it clings to every aspect of who I am. The scars I carry are not just physical from my double mastectomy, hysterectomy, and DIEP flap reconstruction—they’re etched into my soul.

Cancer sticks with me every time I see my daughters, knowing they carry the same genetic mutations (PMS2 and BRCA2) that forever altered my life. It’s in the constant medical appointments, in the heightened awareness of every ache and pain, and in the whispered “what-ifs” I dare not let out loud.

It also sticks with me in the faces of those I’ve lost to this disease. My grandmother, Mollie Witsell, who recently passed at 91, after fighting multiple battles with cancer. My beloved family members Elaine Alleyne, Glenville Alleyne, Malcolm Alleyne, and Grantley Alleyne—all gone too soon. I walk, talk, and fight in solidarity with them, carrying their legacy as a survivor, an advocate, and a fighter.

Cancer didn’t just happen to me—it shaped me. And it stays with me because I refuse to let it define or defeat anyone else.

Cancer is never behind me. It’s around every corner and woven into the story I tell myself and others. Sure, I’ve completed my chemotherapy, surgeries, and reconstruction. I’ve celebrated remission, but cancer lives on in me—not as a disease but as an unshakable presence.

Every time I advocate for awareness, every time I share my story, I relive the fight. Cancer is no longer just mine—it’s my daughters’, my family’s, my community’s. It’s in the Ohio HB28 House Bill I testified for, marking March as Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month that will be signed into law. It’s in the countless connections I’ve made with other survivors, those still fighting, and those we’ve lost too soon.

And it’s in the miraculous power of early detection, which saved my life. I share my story so others might have a chance to experience that miracle too. I’m here to hold your hand along the way, just as my family, my husband, and my children held mine.

Cancer isn’t something I can leave in the past because my fight is far from over. My survival means I’m alive to make sure others get their chance. The phrase “No one fights alone” is more than a slogan—it’s my mission.

Cancer will always be a part of me—not just because it altered my body and took me through the darkest days of my life but because it gave me clarity about my purpose.

Before cancer, I had drive and passion, but cancer amplified those traits. It awakened a part of me that I didn’t know existed. It gave me the courage to stand in front of the Senate and demand change. It connected me with people who’ve touched my life in ways I could never have imagined. It made me understand the power of community, purpose, and hope.

Public Enemy’s song “Fight the Power” has become a personal anthem for my journey. The fight against systemic issues in healthcare, racial disparities, and access to resources mirrors my fight against cancer. “What we need is awareness, we can’t get careless” perfectly captures the urgency of this battle. I’ve fought for my life, and now I’m fighting for others to live theirs.

Cancer brought me face-to-face with my “why.” People live their whole lives searching for it, but I’ve found mine. I’m here to fight for early detection, equitable healthcare, funding for a cure, and hope for families like mine.

I walk and fight for Mollie, Elaine, Glenville, Malcolm, and Grantley. I speak out for my daughters and everyone else carrying the weight of this disease. Cancer didn’t just happen to me—it happened for me. It gave me a mission, a purpose, and the strength to ensure no one walks this path alone.

Cancer has taken from me, but it’s also given me an undeniable gift—the gift of clarity, purpose, and an unshakable will to fight not just for me but for the generations to come. Yes, cancer will always be a part of me, but I’ve learned to transform its pain into power.

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