Vera Monde-Anumihe  RN, MS

Vera Monde-Anumihe is the founder and President of  Survivors Voice International. She is a Registered Nurse and holds a Master of Science degree in Community/Public Health Nursing from the University of Maryland. She is blessed with a loving husband and three beautiful daughters.

Vera was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in June 2006 following a routine physical examination. Like most individuals with cancer, the news of her diagnosis was very sudden and  devastating to the entire family. “I couldn’t believe it was true” she said. “I had no family history,  and no presenting symptoms.”

But with the overwhelming love and support she received from family and friends, she was able to successfully complete her treatment. Vera is  currently celebrating her cancer-free health, to the glory of God.

On her journey to recovery, Vera realized that not everyone is as fortunate as she is. She is part of a lucky few who are able to receive the best treatment available and have a network of supporting family and friends. Her daily encounters with individuals diagnosed with cancer that have little or no insurance coverage concerned her so much that she started thinking of ways to help them. She launched Survivors Voice International with the support of family and friends – vowing to never stop fighting for the millions of women and men who need the support and access to cancer treatment they deserve. With one voice, Vera believes, one can do little…but with many voices agreeing and acting as one, many more lives will be saved.

Vera is involved in community and church programs that enable her to continue educating on and advocating for increased cancer awareness. She is a speaker, spreading awareness and acting strongly on the Bible verse (Hosea 4:6) “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

If you can’t tell by her smile, Vera is living proof that early detection saves lives. She wants that happiness for everyone fighting cancer.

Adanna Monde – Co-Founder

In the summer of 2006, I attended a pre-college program before starting my first  under graduate year in college that following fall.  As any normal student, I was attending classes, meeting fellow students, and enjoying my new environment. I spoke with my mother on a daily basis about what was going on in our lives, but I didn’t know that I was speaking to her while she was in the hospital.

Being the selfless, strong, resilient woman that she is, my mother was more concerned about how a diagnosis would affect my performance in school and therefore, decided not to tell me that she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She told me two months later, and I remember being in the back seat of the car and all I could say was, “You’re okay, right?”

At that moment, I was experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. I was angry, afraid, and trying to rationalize with God about why this was happening. My education and experience as a Registered Nurse along with the knowledge gained from my Public Health training has allowed me to finally understand not only the etiology of all cancers, but also how to cope with my own feelings. Many people cannot understand the severity of the disease until it affects those close to them. It affects not only the person diagnosed but the entire family.

According to the World Health Organization, there is a rising global incidence of breast cancer and the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not survive because their cancer is detected too late. African women have a disproportionally high mortality rate from cancer although they have a low incidence rate which is further complicated by a delayed presentation, more aggressive course, and poor outcomes.

The socio-cultural influences such as alternative treatment use, religious influences, stigma, fear, anxiety, and denial along with lack of knowledge have collectively produced the greatest barrier to accessing care within the African community. Like many challenges in her life, my mother overcame yet another. She took something our community see’s as so negative and turned it into a positive by creating Survivors Voice International.  She epitomized the phrase “cancer is not a death sentence, but rather it is a life sentence; it pushes one to live” and broke the silence.

My advice to the children of parents diagnosed with cancer is to be their support system and encourage them to continue to fight. Help them eliminate stigma about this disease and ensure them that they are not alone. There is an amazing community of fighters and supporters that are here and willing to help in any way possible. If we, the African community, can bring awareness to our fellow brothers and sisters and show them that there is hope, many of us will be able to seek treatment early and have the best quality of life. Remember our God is faithful and he told us in 1 Corinthian 10:13 that he shall never put more on us than we can bear.

Adanna is a co-founder and first daughter of SVI President Vera Monde-Anumihe. She is a registered nurse, health & nutrition consultant, and founder of Glow Health Nigeria,  currently living in Lagos.

Chiderah A. Monde –  Co-President

 

“I never thought it would happen to her…”

Unfortunately, a lot of young people have that same thought upon finding out that their loved ones have cancer.  It is one of the most surreal experiences, devastating, and stressful- especially for kids and teenagers who are already going through so much in adolescence.

That was my thought in 2006. In my last year of high school I was preparing for college applications, graduation and all the final exams, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the fact that my mother had breast cancer. Even surrounded by loving friends and family, the feeling of helplessness was sometimes unbearable. The happy moments were few and far between that year, but I found comfort in knowing that I had friends and peers who had gone, or were going through the same thing in their own lives.

Cancer is devastating, but every child deserves to know that they can alleviate that pain in community. Talking to family, neighbors, school administrators and mentors really helps, but through my experience nothing worked better than talking to someone my age. Since then, I’ve felt the need to educate my peers about breast cancer, and I’ve strived to be the shoulder for them, much like my friends and family were for me.

There is nothing more shaking than tragedy, but it is a human experience. With age comes the expectancy of loss, but for the young- loss can be the end of the world we once knew. It is unfair, and it forces us to grow up faster than we should. But the good thing is we are never – ever – alone.

I invite all young people to join our movement. Join the fight against helplessness, loneliness and depression. Against pain, and despair caused by cancer, and against ignorance. We must be aware, and we must spread the word about the need for support and education – the kind that Survivors Voice International is offering. Join our movement, and show cancer that it can’t rob us of our youth and happiness.

If you would like to learn more about the organization, or if you’re experiencing what I’ve described and need someone to talk to, feel free to email me at chiderah.aalisa@gmail.com.

Chiderah is a co-founder and the second daughter of  SVI President Vera Monde-Anumihe.  She is a journalist, and founder of EVER branding agency in Lagos, Nigeria.

Chinenye L. Monde –  Co-Founder

“Never lose hope and never doubt that a few words of encouragement each day could change her life.”

I remember the evening my mom delivered the news; it hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared blankly as I asked the most senseless question anyone could ask at such a moment, “Are you serious?” There is nothing more serious than cancer. I remember feeling weak, helpless. I remember my mind racing at a thousand miles per hour as I struggled to swallow what felt like the most enormous pill. I could not fully grasp the news I had just received. And then it finally registered. My mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I had always seen my mother as incredibly strong, superhuman even. I’d watch in awe as she would take on the trials of everyday motherhood single-handed: running on little to no sleep, skipping meals, and work late hours just to provide for her family. To me, my mother was Superwoman, and she still is.

It was for this reason that I struggled immensely to wrap my head around the possible threat to her life. Her threat came in the form of one of the leading causes of death among women today, a cancer without a cure. I refused to imagine life without my mother, so I fought with all my might against the thought of losing her.

My mother came out victorious in the ultimate fight against breast cancer. She is my Pink Warrior and we owe all thanks to our Father in Heaven. But the threat of this terrible disease remains very real to millions of people today.

If I could say anything to a daughter, sister, or friend whose loved one is battling breast cancer I would say this, never give up hope. I know exactly how you may be feeling. You may be experiencing a whirlwind of emotions: fear, anger, pain, hopelessness. Your mind may begin to wander and you may find yourself preparing as if cancer has already taken her life. But you must fight against these thoughts.

You may feel like cancer is robbing her of her health, or even that cancer is robbing you of your mother, sister, or friend. But this does not have to be so. Cancer will never take away your memories. It can never take away her love, or her spirit. You must understand that above all else, she needs your support. She needs positive energy around her. Your faith can save her life as it did my mother’s. Fortify her, reassure her, remind her that cancer must not and will not win. But above all, pray for her and pray with her. Be the strength she needs when she is feeling weak or weary. Stay close to her and use every moment you can to remind her that she is strong, that she is a fighter, and that the battle will soon be won. Gather your friends and family members and encourage her. Go with her to her check-ups or ask about them when she returns. Let her know that you care and do not make her feel like a lost cause.

Cancer does not take the lives of everyone. Never lose hope and never doubt that a few words of encouragement each day could change her life.

Chinenye is a co-founder and the last daughter of SVI President Vera Monde-Anumihe. She is a social justice and human rights activist, and Management Consultant currently living in Lagos.