{"id":27568,"date":"2021-10-22T02:29:45","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T02:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=358594"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:14:11","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:14:11","slug":"breast-cancer-survivor-uses-comedy-to-spread-awareness-and-address-disparities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/breast-cancer-survivor-uses-comedy-to-spread-awareness-and-address-disparities\/","title":{"rendered":"Breast Cancer Survivor Uses Comedy to Spread Awareness and Address Disparities"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Suzette Simon lost her mother to breast cancer. In 2020, she learned that she had the disease, as well. Realizing how much harder breast cancer hits Black women, she decided to spread awareness\u2026 and to do so with a few giggles.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When Simon received her diagnosis<\/a> of stage II ER-positive breast cancer, she thought of her mom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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She told<\/a> the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, \u201cI knew my mom had had breast cancer, so I was always diligent about getting mammograms and staying healthy. But when I got cancer, I was like, \u2018What did I do? What have I not learned from her experience?\u2019 I didn\u2019t want her death to be in vain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her mother had a unilateral mastectomy and did not get<\/a> chemotherapy or radiation when she was first diagnosed more than 30 years ago. She wasn\u2019t insured, didn\u2019t have steady work, and had a child to raise. When her cancer returned, it was metastatic and she ultimately passed away.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Though doctors were unsure if Suzette needed chemo and radiation when she was diagnosed, she thought of her mother\u2019s experience and told her medical team to go for it. She didn\u2019t want to take any chances. She also had a double mastectomy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The experience gave rise to her @strongblackboobs<\/a> social media presence. One, as a comedian, she wanted to insert laughter into the experience. Two, she wanted to bring awareness to the disparities facing Black women, from the fact that they have a more than 40% higher<\/a> mortality rate than white women and that they\u2019re more apt to be diagnosed under the age of 60.<\/span><\/p>\n

In one of the videos posted to her Instagram, she says, \u201cCancer gave me attitude. It was a real prick. I had surgery, chemo, hair loss, I got overcooked in radiation, but I was lucky because the numbers aren\u2019t good for Black women. I decided to get into some \u2018good trouble\u2019 by making comedy PSAs to fight boob injustice using social media, and there is so much boob injustice that it keeps me really busy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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In the same video, she goes on to introduce her breasts as \u2018Venus and Serena\u2019 and shares her passion for creating the content. Among her videos are silly quotes from her doctors as she went through treatment, light-hearted songs about treatment side effects, and even a little feature on wigs \u2018when you\u2019re a broke cancer patient,\u2019 which includes improvisations with toilet paper and a pot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through her videos and her nonprofit NY Laughs<\/a> \u2013 which provides free comedy shows throughout New York City \u2013 Simon hopes to use her time to bring some smiles.<\/span><\/p>\n

She told<\/a> NY1 in New York City, \u201cMy mom left the hospital cancer-free, and within five years, she was dead. I\u2019m sort of living my life day-to-day, that I already have one year down and four to go, and what is it you really want to do if you know you have four more years of life? I want to leave this city a better place. And I think that\u2019s what fuels my passion about NY Laughs, because we\u2019ve seen during the pandemic how important laughter is, and it brings communities together. And I want it to last a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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To follow along with Simon\u2019s comedic awareness messages, check out her Instagram<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Provide Mammograms<\/h5>\n

Support those fighting Breast Cancer at The Breast Cancer Site<\/span> for free! \u2192<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n