J. Nadia
Headley
Know that there is life after cancer. This isn’t to be dismissive of those that we’ve lost but if we don’t feel like there is a possibility of life after, it impacts how we deal with being diagnosed.
Advocating for
love, life, and
hope after
cancer
At just 30-years-old, J. Nadia Headley, Strategic Director of Twenty One Fourteen Consultancy Services Inc. and author of Embracing the Valley, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Defined by her kind spirit, hopeless optimism, and bubbly personality, Nadia was shocked into silence by the diagnosis—especially as the news was given to her by a non-primary physician while her 4-year old daughter was in the room.
“I thought that if my daughter saw me react, she would know that something bad had just happened because she didn’t know the word cancer yet, so I held it all in at that moment so that she wouldn’t freak out,” Nadia explains.
Years later, Nadia sat down with that same doctor, who shared it was her first time delivering such news to a patient. That doctor has since become a Mom herself, allowing Nadia to call on her empathy and ask “Could you imagine receiving that news in front of your own child?” Nadia recalls, noting how impactful that moment was for both her and the doctor because she was able to share her story herself by inviting repair into the relationship and informing that provider’s continued care with humanity and awareness.
Once formally diagnosed, Nadia’s treatment was as aggressive as her cancer. “I was told that I was young and healthy, so they were throwing the book at me and giving me the strongest chemo protocol available.” Her treatment plan also included a mastectomy but a year later, Nadia decided to also remove the second breast.
Despite all the pain, she maintained her internal mantra, “I’m still smiling,”
which is how she responded anytime someone asked her how she was doing so that she could stay true to herself.
While navigating the healthcare system wasn’t easy, Nadia says the experience had an overall positive effect on her life, especially as it led to the birth of her second daughter through the help of Dr. Karen Glass and an organization called Fertile Future which paid for the storage of her embryos. “[My daughter] is our success story from all of this,” Nadia says with a smile.
Now cancer-free, Nadia’s most critical advice for other Black women is to take ownership of their health remembering that a breast is a body part and that there is no shame in self examination.
Finally, Nadia stresses the importance of believing in life beyond cancer. “This isn’t to be dismissive to those whom we’ve lost and their memory,” Nadia explains. “But if we don’t feel like there is a possibility of life beyond this tragic moment, it impacts how we deal with treatment, the process, the diagnosis. So, we need to trust that there is more in store for us”
