16: Diagnosed at 28: How Genetic Testing Helped Save Brooklyn's Life

16: Diagnosed at 28: How Genetic Testing Helped Save Brooklyn's Life

Despite being BRCA2 positive and under annual MRI surveillance since age 25, Brooklyn Olumba was diagnosed (at age 28) with hormone-positive breast cancer while in the middle of building her life, career, and future. In this powerful Season 2 premiere of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship, Brooklyn shares her journey as a young Black breast cancer survivor, from discovering her genetic risk and navigating treatment during the height of COVID, to facing financial toxicity, fertility decisions, reconstruction, and survivorship. She opens up about the moment she “pocketed” her diagnosis and kept working, why Black families must stop treating family health history like a secret, and how her twin sister’s preventative double mastectomy changed both of their lives. Now a passionate breast cancer advocate, Brooklyn uses her platform to help young women understand their risk, ask better questions, and advocate for themselves before it’s too late. ✨ Learn more: ⁠⁠sistersnetworkinc.org⁠⁠ [http://sistersnetworkinc.org]  🔔 Subscribe for more episodes of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship! KEY POINTS  [0:00] – Introduction [2:26] – Breast cancer can happen in your 20s [4:54] – Black women often "pocket" their pain [13:17] – Fertility decisions during cancer are overwhelming [16:59] – Family history isn't private information [21:12] – Community is part of healing [25:56] – Hope is something survivors can give each other [31:54] – Advocacy starts with asking questions [33:58] – Financial toxicity is part of the cancer journey QUOTES  “I pocketed it. And I think that is something, as Black women, that we do often. We just pocket it, and we say we’ll deal with it later.” – Brooklyn Olumba “A lot of times we think our disease is just your business only, but it impacts the whole family.”  – Brooklyn Olumba “Even asking your doctor questions is being an advocate for yourself.”  – Brooklyn Olumba RESOURCES Brooklyn Olumba  Website - ⁠⁠www.breastcancer.org/bio/brooklyn-olumba⁠⁠ [https://www.breastcancer.org/bio/brooklyn-olumba]  IG - ⁠⁠@brooklyn_style/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/brooklyn_style/]  Website - ⁠⁠sistersnetworkinc.org⁠⁠ [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/] IG -  ⁠⁠@sistersnetwork⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/sistersnetwork/] YouTube Channel - ⁠⁠@SisInSurvivorshipPodcast⁠⁠ [https://m.youtube.com/@SisInSurvivorshipPodcast/featured]

Behind The Diagnosis: Real Stories of Fear, Survival & Hope | Season 2 Official Trailer

Welcome to Season 2 of SIS: Sisters in Survivorship, the official podcast of Sisters Network Inc. [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/]! In Season 1, we focused on awareness, education, and the realities of the breast cancer crisis facing Black women. We explored the statistics, the disparities, and the information every woman should know. Season 2 moves beyond the numbers and into the lived experiences behind them. Through honest conversations with survivors, caregivers, advocates, and medical experts, your host Caleen Allen explores what breast cancer actually feels like. From the shock of diagnosis to the uncertainty of treatment, these stories reveal the emotional realities that are often left out of the conversation.  You'll also hear how community, representation, and sisterhood can make all the difference when navigating a diagnosis. These conversations at SIS: Sisters in Survivorship are a reminder that early detection saves lives, asking questions matters, and no woman should feel like she has to navigate breast cancer on her own.  Tune in as this season is all about understanding what it means to live, heal, grow, and find purpose after everything changes.  RESOURCES Website - sistersnetworkinc.org [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/] IG -  @sistersnetwork [https://www.instagram.com/sistersnetwork/] YouTube Channel - @SisInSurvivorshipPodcast [https://m.youtube.com/@SisInSurvivorshipPodcast/featured]

"I Was 32. I Thought It Couldn't Be Cancer." | Season 2 SIS: Sisters in Survivorship Coming Soon

Welcome to Season 2 of SIS: Sisters in Survivorship, the official podcast of Sisters Network Inc. [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/]! In Season 1, we focused on awareness, education, and the realities of the breast cancer crisis facing Black women. We explored the statistics, the disparities, and the information every woman should know. Season 2 moves beyond the numbers and into the lived experiences behind them. Through honest conversations with survivors, caregivers, advocates, and medical experts, your host Caleen Allen explores what breast cancer actually feels like. From the shock of diagnosis to the uncertainty of treatment, these stories reveal the emotional realities that are often left out of the conversation.  You'll also hear how community, representation, and sisterhood can make all the difference when navigating a diagnosis. These conversations at SIS: Sisters in Survivorship are a reminder that early detection saves lives, asking questions matters, and no woman should feel like she has to navigate breast cancer on her own.  Tune in as this season is all about understanding what it means to live, heal, grow, and find purpose after everything changes.  ✨ Learn more: sistersnetworkinc.org [https://sistersnetworkinc.org] 🔔 Subscribe for more episodes of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship RESOURCES Website - sistersnetworkinc.org [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/] IG -  @sistersnetwork [https://www.instagram.com/sistersnetwork/] YouTube Channel - @SisInSurvivorshipPodcast [https://m.youtube.com/@SisInSurvivorshipPodcast/featured]

15: Why Black Women Are Dying From Breast Cancer More Than Anyone Else

In this powerful Best Of episode, leading doctors, survivors, and advocates unpack the real drivers behind the disparity, from genetic risk and aggressive cancers like triple negative breast cancer to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. You’ll hear why many Black women are diagnosed younger, why current screening guidelines may fall short, and how lack of access and information continues to cost lives. More importantly, this episode is about what can be done. It’s about asking questions, pushing for answers, and advocating for your health at every stage. Because awareness alone isn’t enough. Remember, early detection and self-advocacy can save your life. KEY EPISODES:  * Triple Negative Breast Cancer Hits Black Women Harder | Dr. Lisa A. Newman Explains Why * Diagnosed Twice Before 40: Athena Jones on Early Detection & Surviving Breast Cancer * Breast Reconstruction After Cancer: What You Need to Know | Dr. Aisha Baron * Your Rights After a Cancer Diagnosis: Monica Bryant on Insurance, Work & Financial Protection * You Can’t Heal What You Don’t Reveal: Nettie Jones on Healing Breast Cancer Trauma  * A Sanctuary for Healing: How Dr. Ryland Gore Reimagines Breast Cancer Care for Black Women RESOURCES:  Website - sistersnetworkinc.org [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/] IG -  @sistersnetwork [https://www.instagram.com/sistersnetwork/] YouTube Channel - @SisInSurvivorshipPodcast [https://m.youtube.com/@SisInSurvivorshipPodcast/featured]

14 :What Breast Cancer Survivors Want Every Woman to Know

This powerful “Best Of” episode of SIS: Sisters In Survivorship brings together the most impactful moments from the season, featuring breast cancer survivors, doctors, and advocates sharing what every woman needs to know. From early detection and self-advocacy to navigating diagnosis, treatment, and life after cancer, this episode highlights the real experiences and expert insights that could save lives. You will hear from leading voices in breast cancer care alongside survivors who have turned their pain into purpose, offering guidance, clarity, and hope. This conversation also explores critical topics affecting Black women, including triple-negative breast cancer, rising diagnoses in younger women, the importance of listening to your body, advocating for yourself in the medical system, and understanding your treatment options. KEY EPISODES:  * How 4-Time Cancer Survivor Karen E. Jackson Pioneered the Black Breast Cancer Movement * Diagnosed Twice Before 40: Athena Jones on Early Detection & Surviving Breast Cancer * Love & Marriage: Huntsville’s Kimberlee Scott on Breast Cancer, Faith & Resilience * The Stress–Cancer Link: 2-Time Survivor Dee Manuel Cloud on Stress, Survival & Self-Advocacy * Your Care Should Fit YOU: How to Advocate for Treatment You Deserve | Dr. Nina Tamirisa * Grief After Cancer: Healing the Loss No One Talks About | Dr. John Onwuchekwa RESOURCES:  Website - sistersnetworkinc.org [https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/] IG -  @sistersnetwork [https://www.instagram.com/sistersnetwork/] YouTube Channel - @SisInSurvivorshipPodcast [https://m.youtube.com/@SisInSurvivorshipPodcast/featured]