Cancer doesn’t strike evenly, and women are paying the price. According to new data, women now face an 82 percent higher rate of cancer diagnosis than men. Among the most alarming figures: in 2025 alone, an estimated 316,950 U.S. women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 59,080 will lose their lives to it.
Trusting Her Instincts
Jonell is one of the faces behind these concerning trends. At just 34 years old, she found a lump during a routine self-exam. With a deep family history of breast cancer—her mother having battled two subtypes over 14 years—Jonell knew immediately what that lump meant.
“I knew it was cancer. Of course, I didn’t want to tell my family and friends that I knew what it was, because I didn’t want to discourage them or worry them more. I didn’t want them thinking I was being overly anxious or dramatic,” Jonell tells BlackDoctor.org. “But deep down, I had a gut feeling that it was breast cancer—and that’s exactly what it turned out to be.”
Grateful for the knowledge she gained advocating alongside her mother for so many years, Jonell recognized the signs and knew that something didn’t feel normal.
The Strength of a Mother
“My mom was originally diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36…She was first diagnosed with ductal carcinoma, which is what I was originally diagnosed with, and then later had a recurrence with inflammatory breast cancer,” the New Orleans Native adds. “Watching her go through her journey and not allowing cancer to take control of her life—that really helped me with my own journey.”
Her mother’s battle was not in vain; it became a blueprint, a reflection, and ultimately a source of strength for her own journey after being diagnosed with stage 1a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). An ultrasound had revealed a tumor in her left breast that a mammogram could not detect.
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“There were days that were hard. There were things that went wrong. There were days that were just bad. However, I never allowed it to defeat me—and I attribute that strength to my mother and the way she carried herself. She was just so strong—100% my hero,” Jonell shares. “So, being able to bear witness to her journey truly helped me in my own, and made me feel like I didn’t have to be defeated either.”
Jonell’s treatment plan consisted of 16 rounds of chemo and 17 rounds of a breakthrough immunotherapy treatment. When she finally rang the bell, signaling the end of chemotherapy, Jonell decided to share her story publicly. The response was overwhelming. Her words didn’t just inform—they empowered. She quickly became a beacon for others, especially Black women navigating the same uncertain terrain.
“I felt an urge to share my story,” Jonell, who also underwent a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and implants, adds.
Going public with her journey became an opportunity to inspire, encourage, and empower others.
“It was just a very long, personal process — but it ultimately became something meaningful,” the 37-year-old shares.
Redefining Healing
Now in remission, healing for Jonell isn’t about “getting back to 100%”—it’s about accepting her new reality.
“Healing now means looking forward — setting goals, gaining clarity, and seeing what my future has the potential to be. And actually striving toward that…There was a time when I didn’t even want to look in the mirror, because I didn’t recognize myself. Chemotherapy takes your hair, but it also changes your overall appearance. I just didn’t want to look — I couldn’t recognize who I was. I lost a significant amount of weight in a short time, and I just didn’t feel like myself,” she says.
After taking the time she needed to process, Jonell is now moving forward.
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“…I’ve really tried to stay present and focus on moving forward — staying as healthy as I possibly can. Self-care plays such a big role in my life now — taking breaks, going for walks, taking time to just be,” Jonell adds. “I’ve realized that I don’t have to let the weight of everything overwhelm me. I’ve learned how to step back, breathe, and allow myself rest. I used to lean too heavily on alcohol to cope — it became an unhealthy habit. Now I’ve learned to break that pattern, step away, drink my coffee, take a walk, and truly enjoy the small, special things that life still has to offer.”
The Power of Representation
One of the biggest challenges Jonell faced throughout her breast cancer journey was not seeing herself reflected in the breast cancer support spaces around her.
“…There were so many times I wished I had people who could truly understand. I longed for women who were going through the same process — women who looked like me, talked like me, walked like me. But it felt like they just weren’t visible in my world,” she explains.
It wasn’t until she turned to social media and started digging — searching hashtags like #youthsurvivor and #breastcancerpatient — that she began to find a community.
“I started discovering women who were going through the exact same thing I was — receiving the same types of treatments, facing similar surgeries, navigating the same emotional challenges,” Jonell adds.
Social media truly became a lifeline. Through it, she connected with organizations like The Breasties, For the Breast of Us, the Tigerlilly Foundation, Merck, and others that created space for women like her.
“Sharing my story became a way to empower other women, not just those facing the physical battle, but also those navigating the emotional and spiritual growth that comes with it. Making those connections and embracing that sisterhood was incredibly healing. Being a cancer patient isn’t something easy to explain or describe to people. Sure, we can show you what we want on camera or on social media, but the reality runs much deeper. It’s a completely different level of pain. A completely different level of knowing. And it’s okay to nap sometimes. It’s okay to have moments where you just cry. It’s okay to face bouts of depression,” Jonell shares.
Finding these communities of like-minded women, especially women of color, younger women, and women with similar experiences, has been truly therapeutic for Jonell. “These connections have helped me process everything. They’ve become bright, meaningful parts of my journey,” she says.
A Mother’s Love, Multiplied
Jonell’s journey has now come full circle, as a mother to two daughters.
“My absolute favorite subject in the world is my daughters — my girls. I’m a mother first and foremost. I honestly don’t know what I would be doing without them. My mother always used to say that,” Jonell shares. “My oldest daughter really helped me through my breast cancer journey. She was just five years old when I was diagnosed, which gave my mother the chance to really step into her role as a grandmother. She cherished it — she truly embraced being a grandmother.”
When Jonell lost her mom, her then-five-year-old daughter stepped into a different kind of role.
“She became my rock, my right hand, my little partner. We’ve had the chance to bond, to learn, and to experience life together in such a unique way. I often tell people: my daughter saved my life. She really did. She gave me the motivation, the purpose, and the will to keep going—to keep living—and not let cancer or grief consume me,” she adds.
As Jonell moved further into her cancer journey, her daughter became even more of an advocate for her mother.
“She was 11 years old when I was diagnosed a second time, during the COVID pandemic. Because of the restrictions, she couldn’t come to chemotherapy treatments with me, but everything else she could do, she did. She truly stepped up. She was my support, my healer, my light. Anything she could do to help, she did — and she did it with strength and love. Even today, she continues to be my best friend. I’m so grateful for her,” Jonell says.
Then came Jonell’s second daughter, her miracle.
“She arrived during a time when I was going through survivorship, which, as many know, is its own emotional journey. I was still healing, still leaning on my oldest daughter, still trying to find my way back to normal — back to reality,” she shares. “I had been told multiple times that I might not be able to have any more children. After chemotherapy, my chances of conceiving were very low. So when I found out I was pregnant, it felt like a miracle. She is my miracle baby.”
Her daughter, Journey, was born on Mother’s Day 2024 — exactly ten years after she lost her own mother.
“I went nine Mother’s Days without my mom… and on the tenth, this precious little girl entered the world. That timing — I don’t believe it’s a coincidence. I truly believe that was God, aligning everything perfectly. She came into my life, into our family, into our world — and she has absolutely taken over. She is such a blessing. She’s so joyful. And I constantly hear from others that she’s the happiest baby they’ve ever met. She doesn’t meet a stranger — she’ll talk and babble to everyone she sees. So for that I’m just so grateful,” Jonell adds. “She feels like she was meant to be here. It’s a beautiful, intentional gift.”
Moving forward, what continues to shape Jonell’s daily morals and values is what any mother would want to instill in their daughters.
“I want both of them to know they can do anything they set their minds to,” she notes. “My oldest daughter had the opportunity to watch her mom bravely battle breast cancer — not once, but twice — and to witness me not only share my own story but also her grandmother’s story. She’s been able to learn and grow from that, and now she helps teach others. She’s learning firsthand what to do — understanding the importance of open conversations, early detection, and mammograms. I’ve taken her with me to advocacy events, where she’s been surrounded by other survivors, advocates, and their families. She’s truly beginning to understand that the sky is the limit — that her potential is endless.”
Jonell hopes to instill that same awareness and strength in her youngest daughter as well.
“Spiritually, I believe my mother is their guardian angel — always watching over them. I even keep a photo of her at the dinner table as a reminder of her presence,” she says. “So I continue to stay strong and empowered, and I teach my daughters about the power of knowledge, the power of using your voice, and the importance of being kind. I believe those values — strength, intelligence, and compassion — will take them so far in life.”
“If I could speak to my Mom on Mother’s Day, I would first thank her for continuing to be a guiding force in my life. I would let her know that I would not be the woman and mother I am today if it wasn’t for her being such an amazing example. She would know just how honored I am to always be her only child and that I will continue to strive to make her the proudest angel in heaven.”
Legacy Warrior
In honor of her mother, Jonell refers to herself as the “Legacy Warrior,” which derives from two things.
“First, I was doing everything in my power to honor her — to keep her name alive. I wanted to make sure she was remembered well. Everything I did — all the advocacy, the outreach, the storytelling — it was about keeping her memory present not just in our work, but in our hearts and minds. Then, once I began my own breast cancer journey, that term took on even more. As breast cancer patients, we often call ourselves warriors — because that’s what it is. It’s a battle. A physical, emotional, and mental fight that we endure while going through chemotherapy and all the life-changing experiences that come with it,” she shares.
“So for me, I thought: ‘Wow. Not only am I carrying forward my mom’s legacy — but I’m also fighting my own battle.’That’s how the title Legacy Warrior was born. It’s both of our stories wrapped into one identity.”
Reflecting on her life, Jonell is honored to be her mother’s daughter and honored to walk through this experience.
“…I would never say our journeys were the same. We each had our own paths, our own battles. But watching her fight allowed me to find strength in mine. And now, being able to share both of our stories, to connect with others, to uplift other women — it’s powerful. It’s a privilege. To be a warrior and to carry her legacy at the same time — that’s something I hold close,” she says.
Her advice to other women navigating a breast cancer diagnosis? Give yourself grace and allow yourself permission to feel all of the emotions that come along with the process.
“If you feel angry, confused, or even defeated at times….. Allow that. Processing those emotions are all apart of healing. Just try not to let it consume you. Educate yourself as much as you can. Connect with patient advocates and nurse navigators. There is a huge community to welcome you with open arms and to support you through the process. Create a bond with your medical care team…Please don’t forget to listen to your body and honor your needs. We are so much more than our diagnosis,” she concludes.
