To my amazing community,

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As we stand at the threshold of 2026, I find myself looking back with a heart that is both heavy with memory and light with hope. Last year was a breathtaking season of growth. After introducing Prowl The LAB to the world, I was blessed to contribute to projects that amplified patient voices across the spectrum of disease status and health conditions. It was a year of "wins," but as many of you know, the most significant victories are often the ones won in silence.

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Beneath the professional milestones lies a deeply personal one that catches my breath every time I say it out loud.

Five years. It has been five years since my world shifted on its axis—five years since a cancer diagnosis forced me into a journey I never asked for and treatment that tested every ounce of my spirit. To say these years were grueling would be an understatement; they were a true unraveling. There were days when the weight of being "the patient" felt like it would swallow the rest of me whole. Other days when I thought it had.

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But those years were also my most clarifying. I am no longer just a patient navigating a system; I have evolved into a dedicated and stalwart advocate for far more than myself. The fire of that diagnosis didn't just change me—it forged me. It moved me beyond the long, painful season of mourning the woman I used to be, to fueling a deep, marrow-deep pride in the woman I have become.

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I no longer look back at who I was with sadness. Instead, I look at who I am today—scarred, strengthened, and certain—and I see a woman who has found her voice so she can help you find yours. That journey cemented the foundation for what I know, with every fiber of my being, is my life’s work: to advocate for and champion each of you, every single day.

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The Mission: VOICES of Black Women

Starting from January 1, 2026, I am deeply honored to continue serving as an Ambassador for the American Cancer Society’s VOICES of Black Women Study. This is an honor that carries a heavy, sacred weight; it is the culmination of a story written in my very DNA. My commitment to this work is rooted in the sobering reality of my own lineage—a legacy where three consecutive generations of women in my family have been touched by cancer. I stand here as a Black woman who watched her grandmother lose her breast to this disease, and her mother lose her life to it, before surviving my own diagnosis. My survival is not just a personal milestone; it is a mandate to ensure that our history does not become my daughter's experience, our daughters' future.

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The VOICES of Black Women Study is inspired by the devastating data that reflects our lived reality. We know that Black women face significantly higher cancer mortality rates compared to White women, despite having comparable or lower incidence rates. It is estimated that over 6,170 Black women will die from breast cancer this year alone. That is over 6,000 mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, and community matriarchs—leaders, nurturers, and keepers of our collective legacy—whose voices are being silenced too soon.

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The disparities are particularly ravaging in breast cancer, where:

• Mortality: Black women have a 38–41% higher risk of dying from breast cancer than White women.

• Age: Young Black women under 50 face twice the mortality rate of their White peers.

• Diagnosis & Biology: We are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and face higher risks for aggressive tumor subtypes, often compounded by systemic delays and barriers to quality care.

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This is why VOICES of Black Women matters. It is designed to close these gaps by gathering data across behavior, environment, biology, and social determinants—and by centering our voices. It aims to identify the real drivers of inequity and resilience so we can translate those insights into targeted, culturally grounded strategies for prevention, early detection, and treatment navigation that actually work for us.

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This is how we shift the public health narrative and design more effective strategies to close the disparity gap ravaging our homes, families, and communities. Strong, representative evidence guides better policy, smarter resource allocation, and sharper clinical guidelines. I’m proud to champion this work and to help bring its findings to practice, so more people live longer, live better, and live to see their own legacies flourish.

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Our Vision for 2026

In the coming year, Prowl The LAB is committed to creating more relevant and accessible content and resources that cultivate self-love, self-compassion, and shared connection for people living at the intersection of disease status, the right to optimal health, and our commitment to health equity. We’ll expand formats—audio, video, screen-reader–friendly, and multilingual where possible—center lived experience, and keep everything zero-shame and consent-forward so dignity and pleasure remain non-negotiable.

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We will foster more opportunities for treatment and survivorship programs that prioritize quality of life as much as quantity of life. That means embedding sexual health as a vital sign in care, co-designing partner-inclusive curricula, and strengthening clinic and community partnerships so evidence-based tools move from “nice to have” to standard practice—consistently, compassionately, and at scale.

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Finally, we’ll broaden and amplify our message: healthy sexuality isn’t just part of cancer care—it’s core to optimal health, including chronic conditions, holistic trauma healing, and living fully with different-abilities. Through thought leadership, community education, and strategic collaborations, we’ll amplify patient voices, equip clinicians, and shape the public conversation—positioning me as a leader in this field and Prowl The LAB as a trusted, go-to resource for equity-centered, pleasure-affirming care.

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Our Promise to You

To serve you more efficiently and effectively, we are streamlining how you access support—creating simpler pathways to resources, faster response times, and more robust community programming. Our promise is to keep your lived experience at the center while we build a safer, more inclusive future for sexual health and holistic well-being.

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It is important for me to say this: though I am a Black woman fiercely advocating for the women in my own racial and ethnic community, my dedication does not end there. My mission is for every individual and every couple facing, navigating, and surviving beyond a diagnosis. Whether you are living with cancer, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes or Heart Disease; whether you are a woman navigating the heavy burden of co-morbidities or working to overcome the echoes of trauma—My commitment extends deeply to young women being diagnosed with increasing regularity, and to the parents and survivors in the AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) community, where young people must navigate the complexities of life, career, and fertility while facing a diagnosis during their most formative years.. It extends to the LGBTQIA+ community, whose unique needs in sexual health and inclusive care are too often ignored by the traditional medical system.

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Whether you are navigating mental and physical different-abilities or reclaiming your body after a life-altering illness, Prowl The LAB is a space for all who seek to thrive, regardless of the condition they carry. We are here to listen, to learn, and to improve alongside you, ensuring that dignity and pleasure remain accessible to every heart that beats for a better tomorrow.

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The 2026 Values of Prowl The LAB

• Lived Experience at the Center: We believe the most powerful expertise comes from those who have walked the path. We center the voices of patients and survivors to ensure our work is grounded in reality, not just theory.

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• Dignity & Pleasure as Non-Negotiable: Quality of life is as vital as quantity of life. We believe that every adult touched by cancer has an inherent right to safe, pleasure-affirming, and dignified care.

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• Championing the Underserved: We stand as a fierce advocate for those living at the intersections of systemic neglect. Our work is an intentional commitment to showing up for the overlooked—breaking down barriers to care, amplifying silenced voices, and ensuring that high-quality, equity-centered resources are a right, not a privilege.

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• Health Equity Through Evidence: We advocate for rigorous, community-centered data—like the VOICES of Black Women study—to dismantle systemic disparities and close survival gaps for those too often left behind.

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• Zero-Shame & Consent-Forward: We cultivate a space of unconditional self-care, confidence and acceptance. Our resources and programs are rooted in bodily autonomy, clear consent, and the elimination of medical and social shame.

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• Radical Accessibility: Equity requires access. We are committed to providing relevant, plain-language, and multi-format resources (audio, video, and screen-reader friendly) so that life-changing information is available to everyone.

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• The Intersection of Health & Humanity: We recognize that healthy sexuality and self-love are core to optimal health, holistic trauma healing, and living fully with chronic conditions or different-abilities.

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• Action-Oriented Advocacy: We are commited to moving beyond awareness to shift public health narratives, strategies, and outcomes by clear and explicit action. We bridge the gap between "nice to have" and "standard practice" by equipping clinicians and shaping the public conversation.

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The Path Ahead: Our Year of Reclamation

We are not just entering a new year; we are stepping into a new era of reclamation. My five-year journey has taught me that we do not have to settle for surviving a system that wasn’t built for us. We have the power to demand more, to build better, and to bloom exactly where we are.

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In 2026, Prowl The LAB will be more than a resource—it will be a revolution of care. We are moving forward with the precision of data, the strength of our shared stories, and an unwavering commitment to the beauty and brilliance of our innate womanhood. We are choosing a life where our health is prioritized, our pleasure is protected, and our voices are the ones leading the way.

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The foundation is set. The vision is clear. And I am more ready than ever to champion this work alongside you. Let’s make this year stellar—not just in how we heal, but in how we thrive.

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Our time is now. Let’s get to work.

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We are meant to do more than just survive. We are meant to...

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Strive. Rise. Thrive.