Dorcas
Ferguson
I wasn’t shy, and I wasn't
embarrassed. I wanted
to expose this cancer
because it’s real and
I
wanted to spread
awareness.
Speaking
up against
cultural
silence
33 years ago, Dorcas Ferguson arrived in Canada from Ghana seeking treatment for her chronic thyroid issues. It was here in Canada that Dorcas learned how thyroid issues can cause a variety of ailments, including severe chronic depression—something she’s dealt with her whole life but hid out of fear and shame.
In 1997, five years after entering the country, Dorcas was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent chemotherapy before having her first child in 1999. This kicked off her decades-long journey to fight the cultural stigma, silence, and shame that surrounds talking about one’s health in the Ghanaian community.
At the age of 45, Dorcas was diagnosed with Stage 2-3 breast cancer, leading to early retirement and a profound feeling of loneliness. The lack of culturally relevant support from within her Ghanaian community was the greatest challenge for Dorcas to overcome.
No matter how hard she searched for someone with a similar experience, she was only ever met with silence.
“When someone has cancer in our community, people get scared. They think they’re going to die,” Dorcas explains. “I wasn’t shy, and I wasn’t embarrassed. I wanted to expose this cancer because it’s real and I wanted to spread awareness.”
Finally declared cancer-free in 2016, Dorcas underwent breast reconstruction—silicone on the left, and muscle taken from her back on the right. She also underwent one more surgery to remove her ovaries as preventative care as, according to her doctor, the type of cancer she had was estrogen-based.
After years of treatment, Dorcas has successfully ended five years of consistent post-chemo medication and says that she feels strong and healthy. She’s found renewed purpose in her old hobbies like sewing as well as volunteering and sharing her story at Safe Haven, a community organization dedicated to bridging the gap between Ghana and Canada.
“I keep talking to people about it because it’s important to have these conversations but so many people don’t want to discuss it,”
Dorcas says, refusing to participate in the stigma that drives people to hide their diagnosis and/or refuse life-saving treatment.
Her final message to Black women everywhere is to reject cultural shame by leaning into knowledge: “We must educate ourselves. We must educate our community. As Black women, we go through this.”
