Jer 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

*In 2016, an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 595,690 people will die from the disease. -Centers for Disease Control

When our sister, Sharryl Travis, a nurse for over 20 years, thinks about why she is here, she knows it is because God is amazing!  She is a survivor, first diagnosed with cervical cancer over 23 years ago.  Like a lot of women she asked herself, Why me?, What did I do?, Will I make it?  Yet she believed it was a part of God’s plan to help inspire others fighting cancer.

Living with constant nerve and scar tissue pain after chemo and radiation therapy does not dismay Sharryl to Live.  Neither would she acquiesce to this disease or its effects.  Concerned more with staying around for her husband of over thirty years, her five children and her grandchildren, Sharryl is here on purpose, driven to serve God in this way.

One of Sharryl’s missions is as a Cancer Patient Navigator (CPN) a program which began at Harlem Hospital by Dr. Harold Freeman and supported by Sloan Kettering Hospital.  However due to budget cuts, the CPN program has ended and she is now in partnerships with Albert Einstein and Montefiore hospitals.  A CPN helps people battling cancer to get through those barriers of cancer. The barriers Sharryl and other CPNs help breakthrough are: getting people resources to stop bill collectors, finding a doctor, obtaining childcare so one can focus on their well being.

Excitedly, Sharryl is about to commence new cancer awareness events in various ministry partnerships as a National Cervical Cancer Coalition Chapter Leader and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Team Leader.  Within these roles, she conducts training programs for CPNs that are Faith Based to teach other through the word.  CPN training involves how to do faith based support in outreach, screening, hospital referrals and end of life care.  Sharryl is very busy doing God’s will, she is grateful for every moment and we have faith that she has a lot more living to do!

Concern (C):  Do you know that both men and women can catch cancer through sexual intercourse?  HPV can cause various types of cancers,  oral, genital and rectal.  In addition, men can get penile cancer from sex; women can get vulvar and cervical cancer.

Encouragement (E):  People with cancer often seek God throughout this time, they know that they can be healed through God’s word.  So Sharryl wants her sisters reading this to Trust in God with your temple, it belongs to Him and He will bring you through this.  In reciprocity, we would like to encourage Sharryl and her daughter (who was recently baptized) that our prayers are with them for their continued wellness and complete victory in cancer recovery.  Sharryl has been in remission for over 2 years.  Amen!

Act  (A):  Share the information.  Start a cancer support ministry/group at your place of worship.  Consider the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) recommendation to have the HPV vaccination for your child.  Call and/or visit cancer patients (bring food, unite in prayer, be authentic and attentive etc.), advocate for cancer screening budgets with your representatives.  Speak to someone who has been through this-including Sharryl herself.  For CPN and other info you can contact her at travis.nccdc@gmail.com or 646-281-2234.

She would like to dedicate this to interview to her family  and for those who have battled and died from cancer-especially her former team Pamela, Alva, Louisa & Alicia.

You can find Sharryl’s S,A.V.E.D 4  Life (Survivors, Awareness, Victorious, Early  Detections) organization on worldwide television, radio shows and tours with promoting cancer and Aids awareness. 

References:

• https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/navigators-help-cancer-patients-manage-their-care.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-and-men.htm.