DETROIT – Meet Dawn Floyd, our latest Go 4 It Award Recipient, breast cancer survivor and founder of My Sistah’s Pink Journey.
In 2017, she founded her nonprofit aimed at addressing the financial difficulties faced by women battling breast cancer. She says, “20 to 30% of women either lose their jobs, or have a reduction in hours,” which has a direct impact on their household income.
When Dawn was diagnosed, she took a leave of absence which meant her pay was lowered to 65% of what she normally made. She didn’t want women in the fight of their lives to also wonder how and if they’d be able to pay their bills. “We pay for mortgage, rent, utilities, car payments, insurance, childcare so we can alleviate that stress for patients.”
The small nonprofit which runs off of donations can cover those expenses for up to two months. Sylvia Cox is one of the more than 400 women My Sistah’s Pink Journey has helped.
“And when I got the diagnosis, I dropped everything, I quit my job, I didn’t tell them I just went into a shell,” said Cox. The treatment left her too weak to continue her decades-long career as a nurse. She heard about My Sistah’s Pink Journey from a friend and within a day of reaching out for help, she received a call.
My Sistah’s Pink Journey paid her mortgagecancer-free and her car note for two months which was a relief to Sylvia, who worried about losing her home. “When you’re on chemo, surgery on your breast the last thing you want to think about is money, but you have to.”
She is now one year and four months cancer-free. Her message to anyone newly diagnosed is “Don’t be afraid, get support, let someone help you.”
As for Dawn, the work continues. In addition to helping patients get through financial hardships, My Sistah’s Pink Journey will also have Thanksgiving meals ready to heat and eat for families. At Christmas, they also provide gifts for an entire family of the women they work with.
Throughout the years, they’ve been able to provide over $300,000 in financial support to hundreds of women battling cancer. What Dawn wants everyone to know is that they are not alone in their diagnosis and the journey that follows.
For more information on how you can receive help or to donate, visit the official My Sistah’s Pink Journey website here.