SIS: Sisters in Survivorship

Dr. Mia K. Wright challenges the idea that faith and fear cannot coexist. She explains how fear can show up during a breast cancer journey without taking control, and why faith, intentional thinking, and self-advocacy can help women keep moving forward even on the hardest treatment days. RESOURCES Mia Knight Wright Website - www.miawright.com Website - sistersnetworkinc.org IG -  @sistersnetw...

In this uplifting episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, host Caleen Allen welcomes Pastor Mia K. Wright, co-pastor of Houston’s Fountain of Praise, motivational speaker, and powerful voice on faith, resilience, and healing. Together, they explore what it means to choose faith over fear in the face of uncertainty, how testimony and community can help women feel less alone, and why some of life’s...

Dr. Taiwo Adesoye breaks down what researchers are learning about aggressive breast cancers in Black women, the advances transforming HER2-positive breast cancer treatment, and why the future of care may mean more targeted therapy and, for some patients, less treatment. She also shares how current research is moving closer to giving each woman exactly what her cancer requires. RESOURCES Dr. Taiwo...

In this powerful episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, host Caleen Allen sits down with Dr. Taiwo Adesoye, breast surgical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, to unpack the latest breakthroughs in breast cancer treatment and what Black women need to know now. From HER2-positive breast cancer to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), Dr. Adesoye breaks down how targeted therapies, immunother...

After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 32, Amanda Butler's treatment became far more extensive than she expected. In this segment of SIS: Sisters in Survivorship, Amanda opens up about chemotherapy, radiation, double mastectomy, ongoing fatigue, and her difficult experience with cold capping and textured hair. She also shares how friends, family, and community made sure she didn't navigate tr...

At 32, fitness professional Amanda Butler believed she was doing everything right. Then a breast self-exam uncovered a lump that would lead to a Stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis, a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, multiple surgeries, and a clinical trial. In this episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, Amanda opens up about navigating breast cancer as a young Black woman,...

Bershan Shaw opens up about the mental and emotional realities of long-term breast cancer survivorship, from depression and scanxiety to losing seven women from her clinical trial. Seventeen years after her Stage IV diagnosis, she explains why survivors must speak up, why their visibility gives newly diagnosed women hope, and why Black women must stop letting fear keep them from screenings and hon...

Diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in her early 30s and given just three months to live, Bershan Shaw was told the odds were against her. That was 17 years ago. In this powerful episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, former Real Housewives of New York personality, and breast cancer advocate Bershan Shaw shares her extraordinary survival story. From the terri...

Breast reconstruction isn't one-size-fits-all—and it doesn't have to happen immediately. In this conversation, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Camille Cash explains the reconstruction options available after breast cancer, why every woman deserves to understand her choices, and the little-known law that requires insurance to cover reconstruction. Whether you're considering implants, using your...

Breast reconstruction after breast cancer is about far more than appearance. It’s about healing, identity, dignity, and knowing your options. In this episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, host Caleen Allen sits down with renowned board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Camille Cash to break down what every Black woman needs to know about breast reconstruction after a breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. Ca...

Brooklyn Olumba shares how her breast cancer diagnosis at 28 led her to become the voice she was once searching for. In this segment, she opens up about feeling alone as a young Black woman in treatment, finding community online, and turning her story into advocacy, awareness, and hope for others. RESOURCES Brooklyn Olumba  Website - www.breastcancer.org/bio/brooklyn-olumba  IG - @brookl...

Despite being BRCA2 positive and under annual MRI surveillance since age 25, Brooklyn Olumba was diagnosed (at age 28) with hormone-positive breast cancer while in the middle of building her life, career, and future. In this powerful Season 2 premiere of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, Brooklyn shares her journey as a young Black breast cancer survivor, from discovering her genetic risk and navigati...

Welcome to Season 2 of SIS: Sisters in Survivorship, the official podcast of Sisters Network Inc.! In Season 1, we focused on awareness, education, and the realities of the breast cancer crisis facing Black women. We explored the statistics, the disparities, and the information every woman should know. Season 2 moves beyond the numbers and into the lived experiences behind them. Through honest con...

Welcome to Season 2 of SIS: Sisters in Survivorship, the official podcast of Sisters Network Inc.! In Season 1, we focused on awareness, education, and the realities of the breast cancer crisis facing Black women. We explored the statistics, the disparities, and the information every woman should know. Season 2 moves beyond the numbers and into the lived experiences behind them. Through honest con...

In this powerful Best Of episode, leading doctors, survivors, and advocates unpack the real drivers behind the disparity, from genetic risk and aggressive cancers like triple negative breast cancer to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. You’ll hear why many Black women are diagnosed younger, why current screening guidelines may fall short, and how lack of access and information continues to cost l...

This powerful “Best Of” episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship brings together the most impactful moments from the season, featuring breast cancer survivors, doctors, and advocates sharing what every woman needs to know. From early detection and self-advocacy to navigating diagnosis, treatment, and life after cancer, this episode highlights the real experiences and expert insights that could save...

Breast cancer changes more than your body. In this powerful segment, Nettie Jones breaks down the emotional and relational impact of diagnosis, from intimacy and body image to self-worth and identity. She shares why healing starts with acknowledging where you are, not minimizing the experience, and how cancer can reveal the truth about your relationships and your relationship with yourself. RESOUR...

In this episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, host Caleen Allen sits down with Nettie Jones, licensed psychotherapist, author of The Girlfriend’s Therapist Handbook, and truth-teller known as “the girlfriend’s therapist.” Nettie brings decades of experience helping women navigate the hidden trauma behind breast cancer. She unpacks what it means to be labeled “strong,” why so many women silently...

Breast cancer surgery decisions can feel overwhelming. In this segment, breast surgical oncologist Dr. Ryland Gore explains how doctors determine whether a patient needs a lumpectomy or mastectomy and why breast reconstruction should always be part of the conversation. She also addresses the disparities Black women face in breast cancer care and why many experts now recommend starting mammograms e...

In this episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, host Caleen Allen welcomes Dr. Ryland Gore, a surgical oncologist who shares her powerful journey from working in a traditional practice to founding the Dream Breast Care Center in Atlanta—a sanctuary designed to provide compassionate, patient-centered, and culturally attuned care, particularly for Black women facing breast cancer. Dr. Gore opens up...

What happens when cancer or chronic illness leaves you unable to work? In this powerful segment, Monica Bryant, Esq., founder of Triage Cancer, breaks down Social Security Disability benefits, including SSI and SSDI, why most applications are denied, and why appeals matter. She also shares critical guidance on legal support, contingency lawyers, hospital charity care, and how survivors can take sm...

In this episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, Caleen Allen sits down with Monica Bryant, Esq - lawyer, Chief Mission Officer of Triage Cancer, and national advocate for cancer patients’ rights. Monica breaks down the complicated but critical issues every cancer patient and caregiver needs to understand, from health insurance and job protection to medical leave, COBRA, disability benefits, and f...

Breast reconstruction after cancer is not about vanity. In this powerful segment, Dr. Aisha Baron explains how reconstruction plays a critical role in healing, dignity, and body autonomy after treatment. Drawing from both her medical expertise and lived experience, Dr. Baron breaks down why many women, especially Black women, are not given full information about their options and why reconstructio...

Breast reconstruction after cancer is not about vanity - it’s about healing, dignity, and choice. In this powerful episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, Caleen Allen sits down with Dr. Aisha Baron, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and breast cancer survivor, to break down what Black women need to know about breast reconstruction after mastectomy or lumpectomy. Dr. Baron expl...

Breast cancer can be isolating especially for young Black women. In this powerful segment from SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, Kiara Prince opens up about the hardest parts of her diagnosis: telling her family, carrying the physical and emotional weight alone, and navigating treatment while the world keeps moving. Kiara shares how visibility on social media became a lifeline, why seeing other young...