{"id":1957,"date":"2026-08-12T01:13:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T01:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/?page_id=1957"},"modified":"2026-08-12T01:41:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T01:41:47","slug":"strongher-talk-marenda-hughes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/?page_id=1957","title":{"rendered":"StrongHer Talk: Marenda Hughes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I was diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in 2014 at 39 years old. I later learned that I carry the BRCA1 genetic mutation. My treatment included chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, and additional preventive surgeries.<\/p>\n

My diagnosis changed my life, but it also gave me a clearer sense of purpose.<\/p>\n

I learned how important it is for women to know their bodies, understand their family history, ask questions, and receive timely care. I also learned that survival is not something anyone does alone. Family members, friends, caregivers,\n medical teams, and community support all play a role.<\/p>\n

That experience is one of the reasons I helped start Operation Knockout Breast Cancer Now. I wanted to turn what I survived into support for other women and the co-survivors walking beside them.<\/p>\n

As a Black woman with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, I aslo understand why representation matters. Black women are diagnosed with TNBC at the highest rate in the United States, and many women of color continue to face barriers involving\n screening, treatment, research participation, financial support, and access to care. <\/p>\n

My story is about survival, but it is also about service.<\/p>\n

Today, I use my voice to raise awareness, support women and families, and help create spaces where people can feel seen, informed, and connected.<\/p>\n

I believe a woman becomes a survivor from the moment she is diagnosed. Survival includes treatment, recovery, fear, strength, difficult decisions, and learning how to move forward in a life that may look different than before.<\/p>\n

My message to another woman facing TNBC is simple:<\/p>\n

You deserve support. You deserve answers. You deserve to be heard. And you do not have to walk this journey alone.<\/p>\n

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  • Pay attention to changes in your body and follow up when something does not feel right.<\/li>\n
  • Learn your family health history when possible.<\/li>\n
  • Ask whether genetic counseling or testing may be appropriate for you.<\/li>\n
  • Bring a trusted person to appointments when you need help listening, remembering information, or asking questions.<\/li>\n
  • Accepting support does not make you weak.<\/li>\n
  • Your experience and your voice matter.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n

    What StrongHer Means to Me<\/h3>\n

    StrongHer does not mean pretending everything is fine.<\/p>\n

    It means continuing through fear, treatment, recovery, uncertainty, and change. It means allowing people to support you. It means using your experience to help someone else feel less alone.<\/p>\n

    That is what this journey has taught me.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I was diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in 2014 at 39 years old. I later learned that I carry the BRCA1 genetic mutation. My treatment included chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, and additional preventive surgeries. My diagnosis changed my life, but it also gave me a clearer sense of purpose. I learned how important it is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1957","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1957"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1975,"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1957\/revisions\/1975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okbcnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}